Alaa Abd El-Fatah
Encyclopedia
Alaa Abd El Fattah is an Egyptian
blogger, software developer, and political activist. He is known for co-founding (along with his wife Manal) the Egyptian blog aggregator "Manalaa" and "Omraneya", the first Arab blog aggregators that did not restrict inclusion based on the content of the blog.. In 2005 his blog won the Special Reporters Without Borders Award in Deutsche Welle's Best of Blogs competition. He has been active in developing Arabic-language versions of important software and platforms.
officers, tortured and imprisoned for five years, is one of the founders of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center
. His mother Laila Soueif, sister of Ahdaf Soueif
, is a professor of mathematics at Cairo University
and a political activist. His parents' activism dates to the days of Anwar Sadat
. During a demonstration in 2005 his mother, along with other women, were attacked by Mubarak supporters; El Fattah was said to have protected her.
El Fattah was released on 20 June 2006, after spending 45 days in jail. His wife Manal was quoted by the The Independent
as saying: "There's no going back now, we'll definitely be continuing our activities."
A few days later he was in Egypt, and was in Tahrir square in 2nd of February, participated in defending the square against the military and mobs attack, known as Egypt's Camel battle.
Continued his participation in the Egyptian revolution, till the fall of president Mubarak, and after that he returned to live in Egypt, when he again participated in the demonstrations against the SCAF (Supreme Council of Armed Forces) way of running the country.
After voluntarily responding to a summons by a military prosecutor, El Fattah was jailed again on 30 October 2011, for refusing to be interrogated the charges using violence and seen holding a weapon against military forces regarding 9 October 2011 protests at the Maspero state television building. Clashes during the 9 October protests resulted in the death of 28 protesters. As in his 2006 imprisonment, his mother has spoken out in his support, and initiated a hunger strike in opposition to the court-martialling of civilians on November 6th. His father and sisters also participated in the 2011 protests.. His sister Mona Seif
is a founding member of the 'No Military Trials for Civilians', a group raising awareness for the civilian detainees summoned by military prosecutors and investigating torture allegations involving military police.
The UN Commission for Human Rights has called for the release of Abd El Fattah and all others imprisoned for exercising free speech.
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
blogger, software developer, and political activist. He is known for co-founding (along with his wife Manal) the Egyptian blog aggregator "Manalaa" and "Omraneya", the first Arab blog aggregators that did not restrict inclusion based on the content of the blog.. In 2005 his blog won the Special Reporters Without Borders Award in Deutsche Welle's Best of Blogs competition. He has been active in developing Arabic-language versions of important software and platforms.
Background
El Fattah grew up in a family of activists and activism was a constant topic of discussion in his childhood. His father, Ahmed Seif El-Islam Hamad, a human rights attorney who had been arrested in 1983 by State Security Investigations ServiceState Security Investigations Service
The Egyptian State Security Investigations Service was the highest national investigating authority in Egypt. Estimated to employ 100,000 people, the SSI was the main security apparatus of Egypt's Ministry of Interior and had the role of controlling opposition groups, both armed groups and those...
officers, tortured and imprisoned for five years, is one of the founders of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
The Hisham Mubarak Law Center is an Egyptian law firm based in Cairo and Aswan which "works in the field of human rights through litigation, campaigns and legal research" and is "perhaps best known for its active support of torture victims and Egyptians subject to arbitrary detention." Founded by...
. His mother Laila Soueif, sister of Ahdaf Soueif
Ahdaf Soueif
Ahdaf Soueif is an Anglo-Egyptian novelist and political and cultural commentator.-Life and career:Soueif was born in Cairo and educated in Egypt and England...
, is a professor of mathematics at Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
and a political activist. His parents' activism dates to the days of Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
. During a demonstration in 2005 his mother, along with other women, were attacked by Mubarak supporters; El Fattah was said to have protected her.
May 2006 arrest and reaction
On 7 May 2006, he was arrested during a peaceful protest after he called for an independent judiciary. His arrest, along with that of several other bloggers and activists, spurred solidarity protests by others around the world, some of whom created the blog "Free Alaa" devoted to calling for his release from jail.El Fattah was released on 20 June 2006, after spending 45 days in jail. His wife Manal was quoted by the The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
as saying: "There's no going back now, we'll definitely be continuing our activities."
2011 revolution
Abd El Fattah was out of Egypt on the 25th of January 2011, when the government shut down the internet in the country; he was able to collect information from family and friends by land-line phones and published to the world what was happening in Egypt during the first days of the revolution.A few days later he was in Egypt, and was in Tahrir square in 2nd of February, participated in defending the square against the military and mobs attack, known as Egypt's Camel battle.
Continued his participation in the Egyptian revolution, till the fall of president Mubarak, and after that he returned to live in Egypt, when he again participated in the demonstrations against the SCAF (Supreme Council of Armed Forces) way of running the country.
After voluntarily responding to a summons by a military prosecutor, El Fattah was jailed again on 30 October 2011, for refusing to be interrogated the charges using violence and seen holding a weapon against military forces regarding 9 October 2011 protests at the Maspero state television building. Clashes during the 9 October protests resulted in the death of 28 protesters. As in his 2006 imprisonment, his mother has spoken out in his support, and initiated a hunger strike in opposition to the court-martialling of civilians on November 6th. His father and sisters also participated in the 2011 protests.. His sister Mona Seif
Mona Seif
Mona Seif is a female Egyptian activist, known for her use of social media, her role in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and her continued push against military trials for civilian protesters.-Background:...
is a founding member of the 'No Military Trials for Civilians', a group raising awareness for the civilian detainees summoned by military prosecutors and investigating torture allegations involving military police.
The UN Commission for Human Rights has called for the release of Abd El Fattah and all others imprisoned for exercising free speech.