Magnitsky Awards
Winner’s Bio

Alaa Abd el-Fattah was one of the most high-profile political prisoners in Egypt, if not the Arab world, rising to international prominence during the revolution of 2011. A fiercely independent thinker who fuses politics and technology in powerful prose, an activist whose ideas represent a global generation which has only known struggle against a failing system, a public intellectual with the rare courage to offer personal, painful honesty, Alaa’s voice came to symbolize much of what was fresh, inspiring and revolutionary about the uprisings that have defined the last decade.

Alaa Abd el-Fattah is an Egyptian-British activist, writer, blogger, and software developer who has long been one of Egypt’s most prominent voices for freedom, democracy, and digital rights. His activism began in the early 2000s, and he gained international prominence during the 2011 Egyptian revolution as a leading pro-democracy figure.

Known for combining technology with political activism, Alaa used his skills to document protests, expose abuses, and mobilise support for democratic change. He was present in Tahrir Square during critical moments of the uprisings and continued to participate in demonstrations and campaigns against military rule and government repression afterward.

Alaa has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned over the years on politically motivated charges, including peaceful protest and criticizing the military and authoritarian practices. He endured more than 10 years in detention, during which he undertook several hunger strikes, including a prolonged seven-month strike in 2022 that brought him dangerously close to death.

After enduring harsh conditions and a prolonged struggle, Alaa was finally released on 23 September 2025 through a presidential pardon. His unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights, often expressed through powerful writing and public speaking, has made him a symbol of resistance and hope for activists across Egypt and beyond.

Laila Soueif, Alaa’s mother, is a professor of mathematics at Cairo University and a lifelong political activist, respected for her role in various Egyptian leftist movements from the 1970s until today. In 2024, she embarked on a nearly year-long hunger strike—lasting 287 days—to demand the freedom of her son and other political prisoners in Egypt. Her courageous activism and the severe personal toll of her hunger strike underscore the profound sacrifices made by families of detainees. Together, Laila Soueif and Alaa Abd el-Fattah embody resilience and steadfast commitment to justice amid an oppressive political climate, their stories resonating far beyond Egypt’s borders as symbols of enduring hope and resistance against authoritarianism.