| Medi 23 2025 | September 23rd 2025 |
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PEN Cymru yn dathlu rhyddhau Alaa Abd el–Fattah ar ôl blynyddoedd o garchar Nos Lun, Medi 22ain, cerddodd yr awdur Prydeinig-Eifftaidd Alaa Abd el-Fattah yn rhydd o garchar Wadi El-Natrun yn yr Aifft ar ôl bron i chwe blynedd, a chael aduniad gyda’i fam Laila Soueif a’i chwaer Sanaa Seif yn Cairo. Rhannwyd y newyddion gan chwaer Alaa, Mona Seif, a bostiodd ar X: “Diwrnod eithriadol o garedig. Mae Alaa yn rhydd.” Daw rhyddhau Alaa ar ôl ymgyrch anhygoel dros ei ryddid a ddenodd sylw rhyngwladol ac a ysgogodd awduron, gweithredwyr a gwleidyddion ledled y byd. Roedd PEN Cymru yn falch o fod yn rhan o glymblaid o sefydliadau a ymgyrchodd yn ddiflino dros ei ryddhau. Degawd o erledigaeth Dechreuodd trafferthion Alaa Abd el-Fattah ymhell cyn ei garcharu diweddaraf. Bu’r awdur a’r actifydd dan glo am bron y cyfan o’r degawd diwethaf, gan dreulio dedfryd o garchar rhwng Chwefror 2015 a Mawrth 2019 am brotestio yn erbyn llywodraeth yr Aifft. Daeth ei arestiad diweddaraf ar Fedi 29ain, 2019, pan gafodd ei gyhuddo o ‘ledaenu newyddion ffug’ ar ôl rhannu post Facebook ynglyn ag arteithio yn yr Aifft. Arweiniodd y cyhuddiad hwn, a gydnabyddir yn eang fel un â chymhelliant gwleidyddol, at ddedfryd o bum mlynedd o garchar a ddylai fod wedi dod i ben ym mis Medi 2024. Fodd bynnag, pan fethodd awdurdodau’r Aifft â rhyddhau Alaa ar ddiwedd ei ddedfryd, daeth ei sefyllfa hyd yn oed yn fwy anobeithiol. Dyna pryd dechreuodd ei fam, y mathemategydd a’r actifydd enwog Laila Soueif, ymprydio mewn streic newyn a fyddai’n parhau am 287 diwrnod mewn protest yn erbyn daliad parhaus ei mab. Aberth Mam Daliodd streic newyn Laila Soueif sylw’r byd gan ddod â ffocws o’r newydd i achos Alaa. Dros gyfnod o bron i ddeng mis, cafodd ei derbyn yn yr ysbyty yn Ysbyty St Thomas yn Llundain a daeth yn beryglus o agos at farwolaeth ar ddau achlysur, ddiwedd Chwefror a Mehefin 2025. “Dangosodd aberth rhyfeddol Laila Soueif trwy ei hympryd pa mor bell y bydd mam yn mynd dros ryddid ei phlentyn,” meddai Menna Elfyn, Llywydd PEN Cymru. “Mae’n wych gweld ei ryddhau o’r diwedd.” Daeth yr ympryd i ben ar Orffennaf 14eg, ar ôl 287 diwrnod heb fwyd, pan symudodd Laila i ympryd rhannol gan fwyta dim ond 300 o galorïau bob dydd yn dilyn sicrwydd gan David Lammy, yr Ysgrifennydd Tramor ar y pryd ei fod yn disgwyl i Alaa gael ei ryddhau. Dod Ynghyd dros Ryddid Enillodd yr ymgyrch i ryddhau Alaa momentwm trwy gydol y flwyddyn, gan dynnu cefnogaeth o bob rhan o’r sbectrwm gwleidyddol a thu hwnt. Galwodd cyn-Lysgennad Prydain i’r Aifft, John Casson, am ei ryddhau, tra bod Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe a Richard Ratcliffe, sy’n deall poen cadw mympwyol, wedi siarad mewn cefnogaeth dros deulu Alaa. Cyhoeddodd Gweithgor y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Gadw Mympwyol (UNWGAD) ddyfarniad yn datgan bod carchariad Alaa yn anghyfreithlon a galw am ei ryddhau ar unwaith. Ymunodd enwogion, awduron a sefydliadau hawliau dynol ledled y byd â’r mewn un llais i fynnu cyfiawnder. Cwestiynau yn parhau Er bod Alaa wedi cael pardwn gan yr Arlywydd Sisi, mae cwestiynau sylweddol yn parhau am ei ddyfodol. Nid yw’n glir o hyd a fydd yn gallu teithio i’r DU i gael ei aduno â’i fab Khaled yn Brighton. Mae’r achos hefyd wedi tynnu sylw at yr ymosodiad ehangach ar ryddid mynegiant yn yr Aifft, lle mae awduron, newyddiadurwyr ac actifyddion yn parhau i wynebu erledigaeth am eu gwaith. Ennyd i Ddathlu Am y tro, fodd bynnag, mae yna reswm i ddathlu. Ar ôl blynyddoedd ar wahan, mae teulu yn ôl ynghyd. Rhyddhawyd awdur a gafodd ei garcharu am rannu ei feddylia, ac atgoffwyd y gymuned ryngwladol o bŵer eiriolaeth ac undod parhaus. Meddai ein cadeirydd Dominic Williams: “Rydym ni yn PEN Cymru mor falch o glywed y newyddion am ryddhau Alaa Abd el-Fattah ac fel sefydliad yn ogystal â llawer o awduron cydwybodol unigol Cymreig wedi ymrwymo i barhau â’n gwaith i ymgyrchu dros awduron ledled y byd y mae eu rhyddid mynegiant yn cael ei atal yn anghyfiawn ac yn aml yn dreisgar.” Fel awduron ac eiriolwyr dros ryddid llenyddol, gwyddom nad yw achos Alaa yn unigryw. Ledled y byd, mae awduron yn parhau i wynebu carchar, erledigaeth, a gwaeth am eu geiriau. Rydym yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i’w cefnogi i gyd, oherwydd er bod awduron yn cael eu tawelu, nid oes yr un ohonom yn wirioneddol rhydd. Mae PEN Cymru yn rhan o rhwydwaith rhyngwladol PEN, sy‘n amddiffyn rhyddid mynegiant ac yn cefnogi awduron sy‘n cael eu herlid ledled y byd. Dyma’r ddolen i ymuno / ail-ymaelodi
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Wales PEN Cymru celebrates the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah Released after years of imprisonment. After nearly six years of imprisonment, British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah walked free from Wadi El-Natrun prison in Egypt on Monday evening, September 22nd, and was reunited with his mother Laila Soueif and sister Sanaa Seif in Cairo. The news was shared by Alaa’s sister, Mona Seif, who posted on X: “An exceptionally kind day. Alaa is free.” Alaa’s release comes after an extraordinary campaign for his freedom that captured international attention and mobilised writers, activists, and politicians across the globe. Wales PEN Cymru was proud to be part of a coalition of organisations that campaigned tirelessly for his release. A Decade of Persecution Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s ordeal began long before his most recent imprisonment. The writer and activist has spent almost the entire last decade behind bars, previously serving a prison sentence between February 2015 and March 2019 for protesting against the Egyptian government. His latest arrest came on September 29th, 2019, when he was charged with ‘spreading fake news’ after sharing a Facebook post about torture in Egypt. This charge, widely recognised as politically motivated, led to a five-year prison sentence that should have ended in September 2024. However, when Egyptian authorities failed to release Alaa at the end of his sentence, his situation became even more desperate. It was then that his mother, the renowned mathematician and activist Laila Soueif, began what would become a 287-day hunger strike in protest of her son’s continued detention. A Mother’s Sacrifice Laila Soueif’s hunger strike captured the world’s attention and brought renewed focus to Alaa’s case. Over the course of nearly ten months, she was hospitalised at St Thomas’ Hospital in London and came perilously close to death on two occasions, in late February and June 2025. “Laila Soueif’s extraordinary sacrifice through her hunger strike demonstrated the lengths to which a mother will go for her child’s freedom,” said Menna Elfyn, President of Wales PEN Cymru. “It is fantastic to see his release at last.” The hunger strike only ended on July 14th, after 287 days without food, when Laila moved to a partial hunger strike consuming just 300 calories daily following assurances from then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy that he expected Alaa to be released. A Coalition for Freedom The campaign to free Alaa gained momentum throughout the year, drawing support from across the political spectrum and beyond. Former British Ambassador to Egypt John Casson called for his release, while Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe, who understand the pain of arbitrary detention, spoke out in support of Alaa’s family. The United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) issued a ruling declaring Alaa’s imprisonment unlawful and calling for his immediate release. Celebrities, writers, and human rights organisations worldwide joined the chorus demanding justice. Questions Remain While Alaa has been pardoned by President Sisi, significant questions remain about his future. It is still unclear whether he will be able to travel to the UK to be reunited with his son Khaled in Brighton. The case has also highlighted the broader crackdown on freedom of expression in Egypt, where writers, journalists, and activists continue to face persecution for their work. A Moment of Celebration For now, however, there is cause for celebration. After years of separation, a family has been reunited. A writer who was imprisoned for sharing his thoughts is free. And the international community has been reminded of the power of sustained advocacy and solidarity. Dominic Williams, our chair says: “We at PEN Cymru are so pleased to hear the news of the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah and as an organisation as well as many individual Welsh writers of conscience are committed to continuing our work to campaign for writers all over the world whose freedom of expression is unjustly and often violently suppressed.” As writers and advocates for literary freedom, we know that Alaa’s case is not unique. Around the world, writers continue to face imprisonment, persecution, and worse for their words. We remain committed to supporting them all, because while writers are silenced, none of us are truly free.
Wales PEN Cymru is part of the international PEN network, defending freedom of expression and supporting persecuted writers worldwide.
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