His Excellency Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Office of the President
Al Ittihadiya Palace
Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt
March 4, 2025
Dear President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
We, a group of leaders from human rights organizations, writers, and public media figures, appeal to you to grant clemency to Egyptian-British writer Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who has spent nearly a decade in prison and now faces two more years in detention—despite grounds in Egyptian law that would have led his family to expect his release, taking into consideration the time he spent in pre-trial detention.
In a profound act of desperation, his mother, Professor Laila Soueif—a respected 69-year-old Egyptian academic—has endured over 150 days of hunger strike to protect her son and safeguard her grandson’s future. Her health has now severely deteriorated, and she has been hospitalized. Doctors warn that she faces an "immediate risk of sudden death with continued fasting."
Mr. President, as the leader of all Egyptians, the power to end this suffering lies solely in your hands. Granting Alaa a presidential pardon under Article 155 of the Egyptian Constitution would reunite a mother with her son and signal a commitment to justice and compassion. At a time of regional instability, such an act of clemency would demonstrate the Egyptian leadership’s responsiveness to its own people’s needs, serving as a sign of strength and mercy. This appeal comes not only from his family but also from Egyptian politicians, a broad coalition of Egyptian women, and the wider international community—urging a decision that upholds humanitarian values and the rule of law.
The world is watching, and history will not forget this act of humanity. As families across Egypt gather each evening in Ramadan to break their fast, one mother refuses to eat. With each passing day, her strength fades—her only prayer is to see her son free. A presidential pardon is not just justice; it is an act of humanity. Let history remember not a tragedy, but a reunion: Alaa free, holding his son, and Laila Soueif breaking her fast with the family she so longs to be with. This Ramadan, let them share a meal, like millions of Egyptian families, for the first time in years.
Respectfully,