Alaa Abd el-Fattah Named PEN Writer of Courage Amid Continued Imprisonment

 

British-Egyptian writer, software developer, and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been honored as this year’s PEN Writer of Courage, even as he remains incarcerated in Egypt. The 42-year-old activist is still serving time despite completing a five-year sentence for allegedly “spreading false news.”

His sister, Sanaa Seif, emphasized the injustice of his situation, stating last month, “Let’s remember that this is an innocent man who has committed no crime, but even so, he will have served his time on 29 September.”

Each year, the PEN Pinter Prize winner shares their award with a writer of courage chosen from a shortlist of international writers known for defending freedom of expression, as presented by the human rights organization English PEN. Arundhati Roy, the 2024 prize recipient, selected Abd el-Fattah, explaining her decision by stating, “He is in prison for the same reason that Egyptian authorities have chosen to keep him there for two more years instead of releasing him last month. Because his voice is as beautiful as it is dangerous. Because his understanding of what we are facing today is as sharp as a dagger’s edge.”

Abd el-Fattah emerged as a key figure during Egypt’s 2011 uprising, which led to the ousting of former dictator Hosni Mubarak. Over the past decade, he has become one of Egypt’s most prominent political prisoners. His most recent arrest occurred in 2019, followed by a sentencing in December 2021. Despite the completion of his five-year sentence on 29 September, Egyptian authorities refused his release, failing to account for the two years he spent in pre-trial detention, a violation of international legal norms and Egyptian criminal law.

David Lammy, the British foreign secretary, has previously advocated for Abd el-Fattah, accusing the former Conservative government of neglecting its citizens by not taking action. However, he has not publicly addressed Abd el-Fattah's case since assuming office.

At a ceremony held at the British Library in London, Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr, accepted the award on Abd el-Fattah’s behalf. She remarked, “In his writing, newspaper articles, social media posts, and prison letters, Alaa was finding the truth in and through language. He has always been doing it not as a self-serving act of contemplation, but as an invitation to learn, think along, and move on with it.”

Naomi Klein, an author and columnist for the Guardian US, also spoke at the ceremony, praising Abd el-Fattah's courage and intellectual depth, stating, “He embodies the relentless courage and intellectual depth that Arundhati Roy herself so powerfully represents, making her selection of him as the Writer of Courage profoundly fitting.”

During the event, Roy announced her intention to donate her share of the prize money to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, further emphasizing her commitment to advocacy and humanitarian efforts.