Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has demanded an urgent internal review at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) following what she described as 'serious information failures' in the high-profile consular case of activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
Historical Tweets Cause Political Storm
The move comes after the emergence of what Cooper labelled 'abhorrent' historical social media posts by El-Fattah, which date back as far as 2010. In the posts, the activist, recently released from detention in Egypt, appeared to call for violence against Zionists and police.
Cooper revealed that successive prime ministers were not briefed on the content of these tweets, and civil servants managing the case were also 'unaware' of them. This failure of due diligence has sparked significant political controversy and distress within UK Jewish communities.
Calls for Citizenship Removal and Government Response
The revelation has led to calls from the Conservative Party and Reform UK for El-Fattah's British citizenship to be revoked. He was granted citizenship in December 2021 under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, via his British-born mother.
However, government officials indicate there are no current plans to strip his citizenship, as case law establishes this can only be done in cases of fraud or against dangerous criminals and terrorists. Downing Street has defended the government's fundamental duty to assist a British citizen unfairly detained abroad, while simultaneously condemning the historic tweets as 'abhorrent'.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's office stated he was unaware of the tweets until after El-Fattah re-entered the UK on Boxing Day. The activist, pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in September, was reunited with his son in Brighton.
Apology and Political Fallout
Alaa Abd El-Fattah has since issued an apology for the posts, stating he understands 'how shocking and hurtful' they were. He attributed them to the anger of a 'young man' during regional crises. Downing Street described the apology as 'fairly fulsome' and the right thing to do.
In a letter to Foreign Affairs Committee chair Dame Emily Thornberry, Cooper stated that long-standing procedures were 'completely inadequate'. She has tasked the Permanent Under-Secretary with reviewing the failures in this case and the broader systems for due diligence on high-profile consular and human rights cases.
The case has ignited a political blame game. Reform UK criticised the Conservatives for not scrutinising El-Fattah's past during diplomatic efforts initiated under their watch. Meanwhile, Labour MP John McDonnell, a long-time advocate for El-Fattah, suggested the Foreign Office 'must have known' about the posts and implied the activist had evolved from a 'furious young man'.
