PEN welcomes long-overdue release of British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah after almost 6 years in arbitrary imprisonment. Egyptian authorities should also lift any restrictions that may hinder his travel to the UK to reunite with his son. www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-a...

To honor El-Behairy’s birthday, @ahmednaji.bsky.social ‬joins us with @minathabet.bsky.social & @basmamostafa.bsky.social to discuss creativity, dissent, and repression in Egypt. El-Behairy’s father will join us as a guest of honor. RSVP for Friday 6/27 at 11 AM ET: pen.org/event/poetry...

It was powerful to join tonight's vigil in solidarity with Alaa Abd el-Fattah and his mother Dr Laila Soueif. There is no time left. Keir Starmer needs to take urgent action now to #FreeAlaa

So many of our fellow writers in Gaza have been killed under Israeli bombardment - genocide denies the right to free expression. We join calls for an immediate and comprehensive UK arms embargo on Israel and an end to the genocide.

PEN International concurs with the UN, legal experts, sister human rights organisations, and genocide scholars that genocide is being perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza through various means, including widespread indiscriminate killings, and the weaponisation of aid such as food and medicine.

Thank you to all the incredible readers & everyone who came to the powerful solidarity readings for Alaa Abd el-Fattah. We were glad to hear that Prime Minister Starmer yesterday had a call with President Sisi to call for Alaa's release. This is critical, for Alaa's family and for us all. #FreeAlaa

Once again, we stand with #LailaSouief and demand Alaa's freedom. He fully served unjust 5 ys sentences, and his ongoing detention is undoubtedly arbitrary. Laila's heath is at grave risk, while Alaa is also on day 82 of full hunger strike. #FreeAlaa Now!

Standing with Laila today to call for freedom for Alaa Abd el-Fattah. If you're available please join us tomorrow for a solidarity reading from 6pm opposite Downing St: www.englishpen.org/posts/campai... #FreeAlaa

Israeli forces denied Christians in #Jerusalem access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Sat prayers. While billions of #Chrisitians worldwide celebrate the holiest days in the year, the resurrection of our lord and saviour, Palestinian Christians are banned from going to their churchs

The #UK has the responsibility to investigate and punish perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by its citizens in #Gaza. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#Palestinian poet and writer Zena Agha reads words of Palestinan journalist #HossamShabat who was assassinated in March by #Israel, during an event featuring The Message (best seller) by American writer Ta-Nehisi Coates in #London.

#Breaking: British-Egyptian academic, #HRD #LailaSouief, mother of #Alaa_Abdel_Fattah, hospitalised over the night on day 149 of her hunger strike. #freealaa now!

We all must protect #Palestinians from such genocidal mania. Heated and racism must stop! Colonialism must end! youtube.com/shorts/qnsQ8...

The only democracy in the Middle East! www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

The arrest and detention of Palestinian author #MahmoudMuna and his nephew Ahmad is another sign of #Israel's relentless crackdown on #Palestinian voices and its ever-increasing censorship. They should be released immediately and unconditionally. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

The sanctions include freezing any U.S. assets of those designated and barring them and their families from visiting the United States. www.reuters.com/world/trump-...

In his illegal, inhumane, white-supremacist, colonial plan for post-war Gaza, Trump referred to the current population of #Gaza as 1.8 M. The world knows pre-war Gaza population is ~ 2.1 and 2.2 million people. Did #Trump just tell the world that Israel has killed ~ 300-400 thousand Palestinians?!

Today, we stood with Prof. Laila Soueif urging Keir Starmer to act on Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s release. Laila is on day 129 of hunger strike, and we are deeply concerned for her health. PEN International demands Alaa’s unconditional release. #FreeAlaa @englishpen.bsky.social

The human rights crisis in #Egypt has significantly worsened since the 2019 UPR. We raised concerns over the escalating crackdown on FoE, incl press freedom, access to information, and the right to protest. www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-j...

Enabling, funding, and shielding over 400 days of Genocide, then rushing to claim ending the war!! Today, we see a long-awaited hope for Palestinians materialised and eternal shame for the Biden administration amplified.

While we are celebrating Christmas with our family's and loved ones, Alaa Abdel Fattah remains in prison. ##FreeAlaa