Alaa Abdel Fattah, a prominent Egyptian blogger and activist, was arrested on 28 November 2013. This is a letter he wrote on 24 December 2013, from his prison cell to his sisters. openDemocracy is honoured to publish this letter to remind people on January 25, the anniversary of Egypt's revolution
Would a renewed 'Jacobin spirit' among the revolutionary forces in Egypt push the movement towards its logical conclusion?
Three years after the Egyptian uprising began, the deep state and the military appear to be openly back in control. How did this happen? Khalil Bendib speaks with Egyptian activist, blogger, and journalist Hossam el-Hamalawy. Interview: 40 mins.
Public support for the revolution was not based on strictly rational grounds. It was an act of sympathy with utopian dreamers fighting a tyrant regime.
Should the Coptic church be involved in Egypt's political transition? Or in politics at all?
The crimes of Bashar al-Assad's regime and its support by Vladimir Putin demand an answer, says Martin Shaw.
Is the Syrian crisis threatening to end 40 years of cold peace between Syria and Israel? How long will Syria and its allies pursue a policy of restraint and containment?
What are the hurdles facing and opportunities available to Yemeni women in light of UN Security Council Resolution 1325’s guidelines? Are internal and external stresses posing threats to women’s security?
This edition of IHRR addresses the critical issue of violence in Iran and how it is used at all levels of society, from the actions of national government to domestic life, to reinforce the values of the Islamic Republic and prevent challenges to the status quo. Also available in: فارسی کوردی Azer
There have been repeated claims of UK complicity in the alleged torture of individuals detained abroad. The government’s latest move in the saga does not suggest a desire to get to the bottom of them.
Only strengthened diplomatic efforts, treating all partners as equal, can defuse the deep mistrust threatening the interim nuclear deal and enable a long-term agreement.
