Breaking news: Ahmed Saddouma is no longer facing a death sentence

Ahmed Saddouma is no longer facing a death sentence in Egypt. Ahmed’s death sentence has been cut down to 15 years after the court finally acknowledged Ahmed was only 17 years old at the time of his alleged offence and shouldn’t have been facing the death penalty in the first place. We share Khaled’s joy that his son’s life is no longer under imminent threat – but we both know this is not justice. Even though the Egyptian courts have now recognised that Ahmed was a child at the time of his alleged offence, they are ignoring the bigger truth. Ahmed was tortured into confessing to a crime that happened three weeks after he was abducted in the middle of the night by Egyptian authorities. There is no way Ahmed could have committed this crime. Ahmed’s new 15-year sentence is the maximum sentence for a child under Egyptian law. The commutation of his death sentence to 15 years imprisonment is an important step – but it is not justice. While for now we have saved Ahmed’s life, we need to make sure the Egyptian courts recognise that a confession obtained through torture is unlawful and may not be used as evidence against him.