Who is Alaa Abd el-Fattah?
His challenge to Egypt’s regime has become a matter of life and death
EGYPT’S GOVERNMENT had hoped that COP27, a big UN climate conference taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, would be a chance to polish its image. Instead it has drawn attention to Egypt’s dismal human-rights record. Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist, is the most high-profile of the country’s estimated 65,000 political prisoners. He was jailed most recently in 2019 for alleged offences ranging from joining a terrorist group to spreading false news on social media. He has been on hunger strike for more than 200 days. Since Sunday, when climate talks began, he has also refused water. Campaigners, celebrities and world leaders have called for his release. Who is Alaa Abd el-Fattah?
This article appeared in the The Economist explains section of the print edition under the headline “Who is Alaa Abd el-Fattah?”
The Economist explains November 12th 2022
From the November 12th 2022 edition
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