Egyptian authorities on Monday announced the presidential pardon of prominent activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah. “My heart will explode,” Abd el-Fattah's sister Mona Seif posted on social media, relieved about the news of his pardon. He was last arrested in 2019 and sentenced to five years in jail on charges of “spreading fake news.”Over the years, Abd el-Fattah became emblematic of Egypt’s democratic backsliding. Earlier this month, president Sisi ordered authorities to review an appeal by the National Council for Human Rights calling for the release of Abd el-Fattah. It was not immediately known if Abd el-Fattah will leave Egypt, but his lawyer Khaled Ali said that his client has a desire to keep his Egyptian citizenship and live in Egypt.