Downing Street has defended the Government's handling of the case involving activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who recently entered the United Kingdom after being released from detention in Egypt. The Prime Minister's official spokesman stated the government welcomes the return of any British citizen "unfairly detained abroad," a position central to the nation's commitment to political freedom.
Political Pressure Over Historic Social Media Posts
Mr Abd El-Fattah's arrival has ignited a political firestorm, with both the Conservative Party and Reform UK demanding his British citizenship be stripped. The calls follow the surfacing of old social media posts, dating back to 2010, in which he reportedly advocated violence against Zionists and police officers.
He was granted UK citizenship in December 2021 through his UK-born mother during Boris Johnson's premiership. Diplomatic efforts to secure his release from Egypt, where he was imprisoned on charges of spreading false news, were pursued by both Conservative and Labour governments. He was eventually pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in September and flew to the UK on Boxing Day.
Apology and Legal Hurdles to Deportation
In response to the controversy, Mr Abd El-Fattah has issued a public apology. He described the posts as expressions of a "young man’s anger and frustrations" during a period of regional conflict and police brutality in Egypt, stating he now understood "how shocking and hurtful" the comments were.
Downing Street described his apology as "fairly fulsome," but Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp dismissed it as "insincere" and urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to revoke his citizenship. However, government officials believe there are no immediate legal grounds for such action. Established case law dictates citizenship can only be removed in cases of fraud, or for dangerous criminals and terrorists.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman confirmed the Labour leader was not aware of the historic tweets until after Mr Abd El-Fattah had entered the country.
Cross-Party Criticism and Foreign Office Scrutiny
Reform UK criticised the previous Conservative government for not scrutinising his social media history more thoroughly before advocating for his release. A spokesman pointed out that senior Tories, including former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, as well as former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, had personally intervened in the case.
Meanwhile, Labour MP John McDonnell, who raised the activist's case in Parliament multiple times, suggested Mr Abd El-Fattah had been on a "political journey" from a "furious young man" to an advocate for human rights. He also asserted that the Foreign Office "must have known" about the contentious posts during the diplomatic process.
It is understood the Foreign Office is now examining issues raised by the handling of the case, as the political debate over the activist's future in Britain continues.
