Egypt Pardons Prominent Activist Alaa Abdel Fattah
Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi pardoned prominent British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who had been imprisoned for six years. Abdel Fattah was expected to be released from prison after his sentence ended in September 2024, but he remained in custody in Egypt. He was arrested in 2019 during a crackdown on dissent and sentenced to five years in 2021 after being convicted of “spreading false news” for sharing a post about a prisoner who died after torture. The pardon came just days after al-Sisi asked officials to review a petition from the National Council for Human Rights seeking clemency for several detainees, including Abdel Fattah. A Cairo criminal court had also recently removed him from the country’s terrorism list, saying there was no evidence tying him to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
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Botswana Declares Public Holiday After Men’s 4x400m World Championship Win
Botswana declared a public holiday to celebrate its men’s 4×400 metres relay team’s historic gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, becoming the first African nation to win the event. President Duma Boko hailed the victory as a “historic African win”. He announced 29 September as a holiday to celebrate the achievement, a day ahead of the country’s independence day. The team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi defeated the U.S., who had dominated the race for a decade. South Africa took third position. The president said that “Botswana’s natural diamonds are not just in the ground, they are our World Champion athletes.” Boko described the win as “electric,” adding that Botswana’s performance spoke to its rising stature on the global stage. Last year, Botswana celebrated another historic milestone as Tebogo won the nation’s first Olympic gold medal with his victory in the men’s 200m in Paris.
Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Withdraw from International Criminal Court
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a joint statement, the military-led West African states said that the court’s jurisdiction had “transformed into an instrument of neocolonial repression in the hands of imperialism.” This led the neighboring countries to accuse the ICC of being a global example of “selective justice.” The military-led governments argued that the ICC had proven incapable of prosecuting war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, saying they intended instead to establish “indigenous mechanisms” to secure peace and justice. The military-led countries have previously used this same argument to justify their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The juntas, which toppled the governments in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey after coups between 2020 and 2023, have since formed a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
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36 Opposition Supporters Remain Imprisoned Ahead of Cameroon Elections
Cameroon marked five years since the violent repression of protests organised by the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) in September 2020. More than 500 people were arbitrarily arrested, and 36 remain imprisoned in Yaoundé’s Kondengui prison. The opposition supporters, including senior figures Alain Fogué and Olivier Bibou Nissack, were sentenced by a military court to between five and seven years for “rebellion” and “attempted insurrection.” Amnesty International condemned the detentions as arbitrary, calling for their immediate release and criticising the use of military courts to try civilians. Despite appeals lodged with the Supreme Court, no rulings have been made, and concerns have grown as Cameroon prepares for presidential elections on 12 October. 92-year-old President Paul Biya is seeking an eighth term.
U.S. Threatens Visa Ban on Corrupt Nigerian Officials
The United States warned that corrupt Nigerian politicians and government officials could face visa restrictions as part of its effort to promote accountability and good governance. In a statement on its official X account, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria said corruption would not go unpunished, regardless of rank, and emphasized that high-profile individuals involved in corrupt practices could be barred from receiving U.S. visas. The U.S. has previously imposed visa bans on Nigerians accused of undermining elections and democratic processes. Officials said such restrictions remain a key tool in advancing transparency and strengthening democratic institutions.
