Downing Street has publicly defended its handling of the case involving British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who recently arrived in the UK after years of detention in Egypt. The government's stance comes amid political pressure to review his citizenship status due to controversial social media posts from over a decade ago.
Government Stance and Political Pressure
The Prime Minister's official spokesman stated that the government welcomes the return of any British citizen "unfairly detained abroad", framing it as central to Britain's commitment to political freedom. This defence was issued on Monday 29 December 2025, following Abd El-Fattah's arrival on Boxing Day after being pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
However, the position has attracted criticism. Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK have suggested the activist should have his citizenship revoked. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp dismissed Abd El-Fattah's apology as "insincere" and called for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to act. Reform UK criticised the Conservatives for not scrutinising his social media history earlier, noting that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted him citizenship in December 2021 and that senior Tories like Liz Truss and James Cleverly had previously intervened on his case.
The Controversial Tweets and Apology
The controversy centres on tweets written around 2010, which resurfaced after his release. The posts appeared to call for violence against Zionists and the police. In response, Alaa Abd El-Fattah issued a public apology, describing the comments as "expressions of a young man’s anger and frustrations" during a period of regional crises, including the wars on Iraq, Lebanon, and Gaza, and rising police brutality in Egypt.
He expressed regret, stating he understood "how shocking and hurtful" the comments were and that some were made during online exchanges without regard for how they would be perceived. Downing Street described his apology as "fairly fulsome" and said it was clearly the right thing to do, while still condemning the nature of the historic tweets as "abhorrent".
Legal and Diplomatic Complexities
Despite the political noise, it is understood there are no current plans to strip Abd El-Fattah of his citizenship. Officials believe existing case law provides no grounds for such action, as it is typically reserved for circumstances involving fraud, dangerous criminals, or terrorists. The law does not appear to provide a basis for his deportation.
The case has prompted internal review, with the Foreign Office examining issues raised by its handling. Labour MP John McDonnell, who repeatedly raised Abd El-Fattah's imprisonment in Parliament, suggested the activist 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 been aware of the historic posts during their diplomatic efforts.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah was imprisoned in Egypt on charges of spreading false news—a process UN investigators called a breach of international law. His writings were later published in the 2021 book, You Have Not Yet Been Defeated.
