Ahmed Seif El-Islam
Ahmed Seif El-Islam (; 9 January 1951 – 27 August 2014) was an Egyptian communist, human rights activist and lawyer. He was the father of the social activists Alaa Abd El-Fattah, Sanaa Seif and Mona Seif. His was married to social activist and professor Laila Soueif, who is also the sister of novelist Ahdaf Soueif. Early years Ahmed Seif El-Islam was born in Hosh Eissa, Beheira Governorate. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science of Cairo University in 1977. While serving a five-year sentence in prison for a free speech case, he earned a degree in law from Cairo University in 1989. He also received a degree in criminal law from the same university. Political, legal and human rights activism In the 1970s, Seif was a leader in the student movement; accordingly, he was arrested and tortured by the police forces several times, especially in the so-called “organized popular movement” case. In prison and during his detention period, he got his bachelor's degree in Law. After he was released, he volunteered to defend defendants with various affiliations, in cases concerning opinion; such as the “Revolutionary Socialists” and “Islamic Liberation Party” cases in 2003 and 2004, respectively. He