Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Alaa Abd el-Fattah

Tuesday 2 December 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Olly Glover welcomed Alaa Abd el-Fattah's release from Egyptian detention.
  • The Minister assured Glover that Alaa's case is a top priority for the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister.
  • Tim Roca raised the case of Ryan Cornelius, a British citizen incarcerated in Dubai for 17 years.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Olly Glover Lib Dem Didcot and Wantage
Immigration Foreign Affairs
Context

Following Alaa Abd el-Fattah's release from detention in Egypt, Olly Glover asked about further steps being taken to ensure his ability to travel back to the UK for Christmas.

Question

I am sure that the Minister will join me in welcoming Alaa’s recent release from detention in Egypt, and in thanking the many people who have campaigned for and helped secure this over the years. This week, Alaa will miss the 14th birthday of his son Khaled because the Egyptian authorities are not letting him travel. It is good to hear about the engagement that the Minister describes, but what further steps can he and the Prime Minister take to ensure that Alaa is able to return to the UK to spend Christmas with his family?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer)

I have set out some of the steps we have taken already. I met Mr el-Fattah in Cairo last month, and am in regular contact with his family. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that this case is right at the top of my priority list, as well as that of the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for additional measures was not addressed in detail.

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Q2 Tim Roca Lab Macclesfield
Foreign Affairs
Context

Parliamentarians wrote to the UAE authorities on national day asking for Ryan Cornelius's release, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The MP asks about further actions that can be taken.

Question

Ryan Cornelius, a British citizen, has been unfairly incarcerated in Dubai for the past 17 years. His son was six when he went to prison; he is now 23 years old. Some 150 parliamentarians from both Houses wrote to the Dubai authorities asking for Mr Cornelius’s release on the UAE’s national day—today—to no avail. Can the Foreign Secretary use her good offices to bring some urgency to the issue of freeing this British citizen from unfair detention?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer)

I thank my hon. Friend for his doughty advocacy for Mr Cornelius and a range of other consular cases overseas. He will know that the former Foreign Secretary has raised this case with the UAE and met the families on 4 September, and we will continue to provide them with support. I have seen these families myself, and I am sure that we will continue to do so at times that they find useful.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for the Foreign Secretary to use her good offices was not directly addressed in detail.

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