The British government has condemned an activist’s “abhorrent” social media posts that sparked a backlash after he returned to the UK from detention in Egypt.
Alaa Abdel Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian national, was detained in Egypt in September 2019. In December 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison for spreading false news.
Mr Abdel Fattah was released after being pardoned by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, after United Nations investigators concluded his imprisonment violated international law.
He returned to the UK on Boxing Day.
However, there have been posts since 2010 in which the activist appeared to call for violence against “Zionists” and police.
They appear to come from Mr. Abd El-Fattah’s X account, but cannot be verified.
Dual national Alaa Abd El-Fattah was detained in Egypt in September 2019 (PA Archive)
Sir Keir Starmer has been criticized for celebrating the campaigner’s return. The Prime Minister said on Friday he was “pleased” Mr Fatah was reunited with relatives in the UK.
“[They] Must feel a deep sense of relief,” Sir Keir wrote on X.
“I want to pay tribute to Allah’s family and all those who have worked and fought to get to this moment.”
It is understood Sir Keir was unaware of the social media post at the time and a No 10 source dismissed the idea that welcoming Mr Abdel Fattah back would be an endorsement of his political views.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said in a statement updated on Sunday: “Mr Fattah is a British citizen.
“The long-standing priority of successive governments has been to work towards his release from detention and reunite him with his family in the UK.
“The government condemns Mr. Fatah’s historic tweets and considers them abhorrent.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been criticized for his comments about Mr Abdel Fattah’s return to the UK (PA Wire)
The Council of Deputies of British Jews said it had raised concerns with the government and expressed an “urgent need” to find out whether Mr Abdel-Fattah still held the views expressed online.
They said: “Alaa abd El-Fattah’s history of social media appearances is deeply concerning.
“His previous extremist and violent rhetoric against ‘Zionists’ and white people is posing a threat to British Jews and the wider public.
“The cross-party campaigning for such a man, and the government’s warm welcome, shows a broken system with a shocking lack of due diligence on the part of the authorities.”
Meanwhile, the Jewish Leadership Council has expressed concerns about the safety of the Jewish community following recent anti-Semitic attacks in Manchester and Australia’s Bondi Beach.
The committee said: “We are shocked by the warm welcome that Allah Abdel Fattah has received from the British government.
“The Prime Minister has recently reiterated his determination to root out anti-Semitism from our country, but now he is also delighted that a man who advocates the killing of Zionists has arrived in the UK.
“We know from Heaton Park and Bondi Beach in Manchester that calls to action were heard.
“The government sees Mr Abdel Fattah’s arrival as a victory and British Jews will see it as another reminder of the dangers we face.”
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, who lobbied for Abdel Fattah’s release, urged police to investigate his comments.
“I do… regret signing the letter calling for the release of Allah Abdel Fattah, as his views were later revealed to be completely abhorrent.
“Had I known this I would not have signed this letter. I urge the police to investigate the nature of these extremist comments,” he posted on X.
Mr. Abdel-Fattah was a leading advocate of Egypt’s 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and went on a hunger strike in prison.
In 2014, the blogger’s Twitter posts cost him a nomination for the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize.
Groups supporting him withdrew his nomination for the human rights prize, saying they had discovered a 2012 tweet in which he called for the murder of Israelis.
Meanwhile, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said the prime minister’s comments constituted “personal and public endorsement”.
“Given Mr. Abdel-Fattah’s record of extremist rhetoric about violence, Jews, and police, this was a serious error in judgment,” he wrote.
In a letter to Sir Keir, Mr Jenrick asked him to clarify whether he was aware of Mr Abdel Fattah’s comments before saying he was “delighted” at his release.
“Do you condemn them unconditionally, including supporting the killing of Israelis and ‘Zionists’ and calling for the killing of police officers and the burning of Downing Street?”
He asked the Prime Minister if he would “correct the record” and withdraw his “mere endorsement”.
“No one should be arbitrarily imprisoned, nor should they be arbitrarily imprisoned for peaceful dissent. But nor should the prime minister put the authority of his office behind those whose words involve racist and bloody language,” he said.
