In a new case file published today, FairSquare has called on the British government to do more on the cases of four Egyptian activists, writers, and human rights defenders facing serious abuse at the hands of their government. They all either hold British nationality, live in the UK, or are members of British families.
Two of the four people featured in the case file are in Egypt, one subjected to long-term arbitrary imprisonment after a grossly unfair trial, and the other to an unlawful travel ban. Two are living in the UK, where they have been subjected to “transnational repression” by the Egyptian authorities, in the form of reprisals against their families in Egypt or threats of violence, in an attempt to silence their criticisms of the regime.
James Lynch, co-director at FairSquare, said:
“The common thread is the British government has not in the past pulled its weight on these cases, where it has a direct stake in the safety and dignity of those subjected to human rights violations. We are looking for the incoming government to put its relationship with Egypt on a new footing, one in which it stands up for the rights of British nationals, residents and families.”
In the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a pro-democracy writer subjected to relentless persecution by the Egyptian state for more than a decade, the UK’s diplomatic efforts have failed to secure his release, and British officials have even been denied consular access to a British national in prison. This September will mark a crucial milestone for Alaa who by then will have completed the five-year sentence he was given after a manifestly illegitimate trial. It is feared that the Egyptian government does not intend to release him, and will say that the two years he languished in pre-trial detention are not counted, contrary to international law.
Last year, FairSquare submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee regarding Alaa Abd el-Fattah, calling on the UK government to end its sole reliance on a strategy of high-level lobbying, and to demonstrate that there would be real diplomatic, commercial and political consequences for refusing to cooperate with British officials on the critical matter of the welfare, safety and freedom of their national. Members of the UK Parliament continue to scrutinise the UK government’s work on Alaa’s case.
The file also features the case of Karim Ennarah, a human rights researcher who remains in Egypt under a travel ban. FairSquare has previously published research on Egypt’s use of arbitrary travel bans to target key members of civil society for their peaceful work. The bans, which authorities usually do not formally announce and provide no clear way to challenge them in court, damage the lives and mental health of those subjected to them. In Karim’s case, he has been unable to rejoin his wife in the UK for nearly four years.
All the cases have in common the failure of the UK government to respond adequately and provide support to individuals facing abuse, harassment and intimidation. The UK Home Office has even rejected the asylum claim of one man, Abdelrahman Ayyash, arguing that he should go to live in Saudi Arabia, despite the obvious risk that he could be returned to Egypt.
In the case of Ahmed Salem, the UK-based director of the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights, who faced threats and smears for his reporting on Egypt’s construction of a fortified zone on the border with Gaza, the UK government’s response was wholly insufficient. In February, FairSquare signed onto a joint statement by 18 civil society organisations denouncing the Egyptian government’s smear campaign against Ahmed. Mary Lawlor, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders urged the Egyptian government to ensure his family’s safety.
The UK has a close strategic relationship with the Egyptian authorities. In April 2024, the previous government committed to providing Egypt with over £300m in budget support. While he was in opposition, David Lammy – who is now Foreign Secretary – called on the then government to leverage its economic and other ties with Egypt in support of Alaa.
FairSquare is calling on the British government to use the full range of its bilateral relationship with Egypt to secure the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, as well as the lifting of Karim Ennarah’s travel ban, and an end to the harassment and intimidation of Abdelrahman Ayyash and Ahmed Salem.
