Prominent Egyptian-British human rights defender Alaa Abdel Fattah was released from prison after years behind bars and reunited with his family in an emotional celebration following a long-awaited pardon by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

A key figure in Egypt’s 2011 uprising, Abdel Fattah, 43, was released after years of advocacy efforts by family members, rights groups and the British government, with his mother, Leila Soueif, going on hunger strike.

At the family home in Cairo, celebrations went on early into Tuesday morning, with Abdel Fattah smiling and jumping for joy as he embraced his mother, sister and friends.

“I still can’t believe it and I can’t grasp that Alaa is with us, so I’ll need some time to absorb it,” said his sister Sanaa Seif, herself a former political prisoner.

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