British-Egyptian activist arrives in UK after travel ban lifted

The British-Egyptian writer and pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has arrived in the UK after a travel ban imposed by the Egyptian authorities was lifted.

He was freed from jail in September after spending more than a decade of his life behind bars.

His latest imprisonment came after being convicted of "spreading fake news" when he shared a Facebook post about torture in the country.

For Alaa Abdel Fattah and his family this is a new beginning after years of separation and suffering. His mother, Laila Soueif, almost died twice while on hunger strike to push for his release.

The most prominent of Egypt's many political prisoners, he was pardoned by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in September but was then not allowed to leave the country.

Now, removed from the travel ban list, he has flown to the UK to be reunited with his 14-year old son who lives in Brighton.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote on X that he was delighted, saying Alaa Abdel Fattah's case had been a top priority for the government.

His sister, Mona, said that hundreds of people around the world had helped bring this moment about and the family could now finally begin to heal.

Speaking to the BBC from Cairo in October after his release, he had said: "I'm learning how to get back into life."

"I'm doing much better than I would have expected. Much better than most people would have expected," he added.

His release in September followed a long campaign by his family - backed by celebrities such as actors Judi Dench and Olivia Colman - and lobbying by the British government.