Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting political pressure to strip a recently freed Egyptian democracy activist of his British citizenship, following the emergence of historic social media posts.
Backlash Over Historic Social Media Posts
The controversy centres on Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a British-Egyptian writer who was detained in Egypt in September 2019. He was later sentenced in December 2021 to five years in prison on charges of spreading false news, a move UN investigators branded a breach of international law. After years of lobbying by successive UK governments, he was pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in September.
Mr Abd El-Fattah, who was granted UK citizenship in December 2021 under Boris Johnson's government via his UK-born mother, flew to the UK on Boxing Day. He was reunited with his son in Brighton after a travel ban was lifted.
However, his arrival was swiftly overshadowed by the discovery of social media posts dating back to 2010 and 2012. In these posts, the activist appeared to call for violence towards Zionists and the police. The Press Association stated it could not verify the authenticity of the tweets.
Political Figures Demand Action
The revelations have prompted strong reactions from across the political spectrum. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK's Nigel Farage have both called for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to investigate revoking Mr Abd El-Fattah's citizenship.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Mrs Badenoch said it was "inconceivable" the statements had gone unnoticed and argued that "people who hate Britain" should not be allowed into the country. She emphasised that such views "must be considered when decisions are taken about citizenship".
Mr Farage wrote directly to the Home Secretary, criticising the "basic due diligence" of the parties that championed the activist's case. He stated that anyone holding "racist and anti-British views" should not be admitted to the UK.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick described the activist's links to the UK as "tenuous at best", suggesting citizenship was granted via a "loophole".
Regret and Condemnation from Former Supporters
The backlash has led to notable expressions of regret from some of Mr Abd El-Fattah's former political supporters. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Tory MP Alicia Kearns, ex-chair of the foreign affairs committee, both said they felt betrayed after learning of the "grotesque tweets". Ms Kearns demanded he "unequivocally apologise" for the hatred expressed.
Jewish groups have voiced profound concern. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the "extremist and violent rhetoric" was threatening, while the Jewish Leadership Council expressed being "appalled by the effusive welcome" from the government, given recent antisemitic attacks.
In a statement, the Foreign Office confirmed Mr Abd El-Fattah is a British citizen and that securing his release was a long-standing priority. It strongly condemned the historic tweets, calling them "abhorrent". It is understood Sir Keir was unaware of the posts when he initially expressed delight at the activist's return.
This incident is not the first time Mr Abd El-Fattah's online commentary has caused controversy; in 2014, a tweet from 2012 cost him a nomination for the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov Prize for human rights.
