Activist apologises for historic tweets as Tories urge Starmer to deport him from UK
A democracy activist has issued a “firm” apology for several historic tweets, some of which advocated violence against Zionists; but Sir Keir Starmer now faces growing calls for him to be deported from the UK.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who recently arrived in the UK after years of detention in Egypt, argues that the other posts have been “completely distorted from their meaning”.
The row has led to figures including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for an investigation into the revocation of the activist’s British citizenship.
Abdel Fattah, who was detained in Egypt in September 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison in December 2021 for allegedly spreading false news, was pardoned by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in September.
His release, following intense lobbying by both the Conservative and Labor governments, enabled him to fly to England on Boxing Day to be reunited with his son in Brighton.
Since his arrival, posts dating back to 2010 have resurfaced calling for violence against Zionists and police.
In a statement released on Monday, Mr Abd El-Fattah said: “Just as I was reunited with my family for the first time in 12 years, I was shocked that several of my historic tweets were republished and used to question and attack my integrity and values, turning into calls for the revocation of my citizenship.”
He added: “Looking at the tweets now – they were not completely distorted from their meaning – I realize how shocking and hurtful they were and for that I absolutely apologize.”
He attributed these posts to “a young man’s anger and frustrations during regional crises (Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza wars) and the increase in police violence against Egyptian youth” and also regretted what was written during “online insult wars”.
Following the release of the statement, shadow home secretary Chris Philp branded Mr Abd El-Fattah a “scum” and added that he was “not really interested” in his apology.
The Conservative MP told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “What he said was absolutely disgusting… If I were the real Home Secretary I would sign an order today revoking his citizenship under the Immigration Act 1971 on the grounds that it is not in the public interest and that it enables his deportation, because people who spew that kind of hatred have no place in this country and the fact that he has now issued an apology because he has essentially been exposed means nothing in my opinion.” Regardless, he publicly apologizes because his disgusting, hateful words have now been made public.”
The shadow home secretary’s comments came after Ms Badenoch argued it was “inconceivable” the activist’s past statements had gone unnoticed.
Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: “I don’t want people who hate England coming to our country.”
Mr Abd El-Fattah, who was granted UK citizenship under Boris Johnson in December 2021 and reportedly through his UK-born mother, insisted he takes allegations of antisemitism “very seriously”.
He claimed that some tweets were “misunderstood, seemingly malicious”, citing examples where a tweet interpreted as homophobic “actually mocks homophobia” and another tweet falsely asserting Holocaust denial “clearly mocks Holocaust denial”.
He underlined his past support for LGBTQ+ rights and religious minorities in Egypt.
In a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Office confirmed Mr Abd El-Fattah’s British citizenship and said securing his release had been “a long-standing priority by successive governments”.
But he added: “The government condemns Mr Al-Fattah’s historic tweets and considers them disgusting.”
While Sir Keir expressed his delight at the activist’s return, it appears he was unaware of the posts on social media.
Concerns were also voiced by Jewish community organizations. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it had contacted the government and stressed there was an “urgent need” to establish whether Mr Abd El-Fattah still held the views expressed online.
The Jewish Leadership Council has expressed concerns about the safety of Jewish communities, citing recent anti-Semitic attacks in Manchester and Australia’s Bondi Beach.
“We know there are those who hear calls to action from Heaton Park, Manchester and Bondi Beach,” the organization said on X. “The government celebrated Mr Abdel Fattah’s arrival as a victory, British Jews will see it as another reminder of the danger we face.”
This is not the first time Mr. Abd El-Fattah’s tweets have caused controversy. His candidacy for the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize in 2014 was withdrawn following a tweet about Israel in 2012.
Despite the backlash, Mr. Abd El-Fattah expressed gratitude for the “tremendous empathy and solidarity” he received.
“It is painful to see that some of the people who supported calls for my release now regret doing so,” he said.
“No matter how they felt at the moment, they did the right thing. Defending human rights and an unjustly imprisoned citizen is an honorable thing, and I will always be grateful for that solidarity.”
