UK urges Egypt to release activist Alaa Abdel Fattah

A diplomatic row is brewing between Egypt and the United Kingdom following claims by Egyptian MP and media figure Mustafa Bakri that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi declined a phone call from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to Middle East Monitor on June 9th.

According to Bakri, the refusal stemmed from British pressure to release detained activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, which Egypt sees as interference in domestic affairs. Bakri described the demands as “cheap blackmail” and accused President Sisi of inciting violence and insulting the military. 

The UK has previously raised concerns over Egypt’s human rights record, while Cairo insists such criticism undermines national sovereignty.

Middle East Monitor/ Maghrebi.org