Egypt
I’m going to do something that’s very rare for Proximities and start with some good news. Well-known Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been pardoned by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to his lawyer, after spending most of the last decade in prison. Though he had been detained for dissent before, Abd el-Fattah came to wider prominence during the so-called Arab Spring protests that toppled autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011. He later became a critic of Sisi, who seized power in 2014. Both Abd el-Fattah and his mother, Soueif, had gone on several hunger strikes, drawing international notice to his case. Let’s hope he keeps his freedom this time - he is a remarkable man.
More from AP here.
Syria
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has used a trip to the U.S. to urge the administration of President Donald Trump to lift sanctions imposed in 2019. Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader, is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, the first Syrian leader to do so in nearly 60 years. Speaking at a summit on the sidelines of the Assembly, Sharaa said ordinary Syrians felt the sanctions were targeting them directly. "We have a big mission to build the economy. Syria has a diverse workforce. They love to work, it's in its genes. So don't be worried, just lift the sanctions and you will see the results," he added. Sharaa has struggled to unite the country’s myriad factions since coming to power in January.
More from Reuters here.
Pakistan
Three transgender women have been shot dead in an attack in Pakistan, according to police. The women were attacked by gunmen on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, their bodies found on a roadside. Though no immediate motive was established, activists said the murders underlined the dangers the trans community faces. “Transgenders are an oppressed section of society,” Sindh Province Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said, condemning the killings and promising an investigation. Members of the trans community held a demonstration outside the hospital where the bodies were taken and vowed they would launch nationwide protests if the killers were not caught.
More from AP here.