Egypt frees activist who played role in 2011 uprising

CAIRO

Political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah was released by the Egyptian authorities on Friday after five years in prison.

His sisters, Mona and Sanaa, along with his lawyer, Khaled Ali, confirmed his release early Friday on Facebook and Twitter.

A prominent blogger and activist, Abdel-Fattah played a role in Egypt’s Jan. 25, 2011 uprising that forced autocratic President Hosni Mubarak to step down after almost three decades in power.

In 2017, the Court of Cassation, Egypt’s highest appellate court, upheld a five-year jail term handed down earlier against the activist for violating laws against holding “unauthorized demonstrations”.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat