CAIRO, EGYPT - NOVEMBER 11: Alaa Abdel-Fattah (Front), one of the 25 detained activists of January 25 Revolution in Egypt, speaks during the Shura Council trials at the Cairo Police Academy in Cairo, Egypt, on November 11, 2014. (Photo by Mohamed Hossam/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Egypt’s Badr Criminal Court has ordered the removal of prominent political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah from the country’s terrorist list, a ruling that will be published in the official state gazette, al-Waqa’i’ al-Misriyya, free of charge.
The decision, announced on Monday, follows a judicial review of Decision No. 3 of 2025 concerning Felony Case No. 1781 of 2019, under State Security Confinement. After examining the findings, the court concluded that Abdel-Fattah’s inclusion on the list was not justified.
According to the court, the removal is based on the results of investigations which determined that Abdel-Fattah was not operating on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group designated as a terrorist organisation in Egypt.
The ruling marks a significant development in the case of Abdel-Fattah, one of Egypt’s most recognisable activists, who has been a central figure in the country’s pro-democracy movement since the 2011 uprising. His designation as a terrorist had subjected him to severe restrictions, including travel bans, asset freezes, and further legal consequences under Egypt’s counterterrorism laws.
By ordering his delisting, the court has effectively cleared Abdel-Fattah of any formal association with terrorist activity, though other legal proceedings and sentences against him remain separate from this decision.
Observers say the removal could ease some of the international scrutiny surrounding Egypt’s treatment of political activists, many of whom have been swept into terrorism-related cases.
The court’s order will take effect once published in al-Waqa’i’ al-Misriyya, after which Abdel-Fattah will no longer be subject to the sanctions tied to his former listing.
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