I'm learning how to get back into life, freed British-Egyptian activist says

October 11, 2025

I'm learning how to get back into life, freed British-Egyptian activist says

"I'm learning how to get back into life," says freed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, as he recovers from more than a decade in jail in Egypt.

"I'm doing much better than I would have expected," he told the BBC from Cairo, speaking publicly for the first time since he walked free last month. "Much better than most people would have expected."

Alaa Abdel Fattah, 43, was Egypt's best known political prisoner until 23 September, when he was released after being granted a presidential pardon. It followed a long campaign by his family - backed by celebrities such as actors Judi Dench and Olivia Colman - and lobbying by the British government.

He's now busy enjoying "the small things, which are the big things": watching his two-year old niece, Lana, dance and seeing his 13-year-old son Khaled's excitement in music.

"It's these small things that matter," he says. "And being immersed in them immediately was amazing, is amazing. It's still amazing."

After the dark days of despair which he suffered in jail, he described the "sensory overwhelm" of being free: feeling Cairo's sun on his skin, seeing the moon in the night sky, and receiving hugs from his family after years when the only human touch he had was from guards searching him.

A writer, intellectual and software developer, Mr Abdel Fattah rose to prominence during an uprising in 2011 that forced the former president, Hosni Mubarak, to resign.

He was a familiar face in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the focal point of the demonstrations, and he gave voice to the protesters' demands. He was arrested in October that year after writing an article about the killing of protesters by the Egyptian military.