Alaa Abdel Fattah Returns to UK Following Release from Egyptian Prison
Alaa Abdel Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian citizen, has arrived in the UK after being released in Egypt under a presidential pardon. He spent more than a decade in prison, including a five-year sentence given in December 2021 for 'spreading fake news' about torture. His release followed a prolonged campaign led by his family and supported by figures such as Judi Dench and Olivia Colman, as well as lobbying from the British government.
Abdel Fattah first rose to prominence during Egypt's 2011 uprising. He was nominated for the Sakharov Prize in 2014, but the nomination was later withdrawn due to tweets from 2012 regarding Israel, which Abdel Fattah stated were taken out of context and from a private conversation. The BBC understands that the activist's past messages, some of which have been described by the government as abhorrent, were not brought to the prime minister's attention until recently.
His arrival in the UK was welcomed by Labour leader Keir Starmer, while former Conservative cabinet minister Robert Jenrick condemned the welcome as an error of judgement, citing Abdel Fattah's past messages endorsing violence against Zionists and police. Other cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary David Lammy, posted supportive messages. The Jewish Leadership Council criticised the tone of the welcome as overly effusive.
A former Conservative government had also lobbied for Abdel Fattah's release. In response to Jenrick's criticism, a Labour source accused him of rewriting history for political advantage. Abdel Fattah, who had been temporarily held in Egypt due to a travel ban after his release, is now reunited in the UK with his 14-year-old son who lives in Brighton.
