Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing significant criticism for publicly celebrating the return of a British democracy activist from detention in Egypt, following the emergence of controversial historical social media posts attributed to the man.
Controversial Welcome for Freed Activist
On Friday, the Labour leader stated he was "delighted" that Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a British-Egyptian dual national, had been reunited with his family in the UK. Mr Abd El-Fattah was released from an Egyptian prison in September after receiving a presidential pardon from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi.
Shadow cabinet ministers Yvette Cooper and David Lammy shared similar sentiments online. However, the celebratory tone was swiftly condemned by the Jewish Leadership Council and senior Conservative MP Robert Jenrick.
Historical Posts Spark Outrage
The criticism centres on past posts, dating back to at least 2010, that appear to originate from Mr Abd El-Fattah's social media accounts. While not verified by the Press Association, these posts are reported to include calls for violence against "Zionists" and police officers.
In 2014, these posts led to the withdrawal of his nomination for the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov Prize for human rights, after a 2012 tweet surfaced in which he allegedly called for the murder of Israelis.
Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, accused the Prime Minister of making a "serious error of judgment" by offering a "personal, public endorsement" of someone with a record of what he termed extremist statements. In a letter to Sir Keir, Mr Jenrick demanded the PM clarify if he was aware of the statements and asked him to "correct the record" and withdraw his "unalloyed endorsement".
Community Concerns and Government Response
The Jewish Leadership Council, a charity representing UK Jewish organisations, expressed alarm at the "effusive welcome" from the government. The council linked the welcome to recent antisemitic attacks in Manchester and Sydney's Bondi Beach, stating British Jews would see it as "yet another reminder of the danger we face."
They argued that advocating violence against Zionists could be heard by some as a call to action. A Foreign Office spokesperson defended the government's position, noting that securing the release of Mr Abd El-Fattah, a British citizen, had been a long-standing priority under successive governments.
Mr Abd El-Fattah was initially detained in Egypt in September 2019 and sentenced in December 2021 to five years in prison on charges of spreading false news. His imprisonment was later deemed a breach of international law by UN investigators. A leading voice in Egypt's 2011 Arab Spring, he conducted hunger strikes during his detention. The previous Conservative government had also lobbied for his release.
