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AnalysesMiddle East and North Africa

Alaa Abd al-Fattah, one of the most iconic figures of Egypt’s 2011 revolution and the country’s most prominent political prisoner under President al-Sisi, was released last Monday, September 22, by presidential decree. The news, confirmed by family lawyer and former presidential candidate Khaled Ali, was met with jubilation among relatives and political activists alike. Alaa’s sister, longtime activist Mona Seif, posted a brief message on X: “My heart is about to stop.” Their mother, Laila Soueif—who had waged a prolonged hunger strike that left her in fragile health and sparked fears for her life—reacted from her home in Giza, where she sat beside her son, surrounded by family and friends. Alongside her joy, she insisted the struggle would not be over until Egypt is free of political prisoners.

Videos Middle East and North Africa

Ruth Hanau Santini, associate professor of Politics and International relations at the University of Naples L’Orientale, discusses how Tunisia’s democratic backslide stemmed from unimplemented reforms and an elite-driven process that sidelined public trust. These issues ultimately paved the way for populist influence, culminating in Tunisia’s current political crisis.

ConveningMiddle East and North Africa

December

2023

Palermo, Italy

The conference will examine why democracy has struggled to take root in the Arab world: historical factors such as the consequences of oil resources, autocratic regimes, the inability to effectively implement economic reforms, the historical legacy of the alliance with the Soviet Union and the effects of colonialism, and in more recent times the negative parabola of the “Arab Springs” and in particular the failure of the compromise between Islamic and secular political forces that had made possible the beginning of a democratic path for Tunisia, now dominated by an autocratic power that arrests opponents.