Backlash Over Past Social Media Posts of British-Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah Following His Release
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist recently released from detention in Egypt after sustained campaigning by Conservative and Labour governments, is facing backlash over past social media posts from 2010 to 2012.
These posts on X reportedly contain violent rhetoric toward Zionists and police, including calls to kill, descriptions of killings as heroic, and other inflammatory statements. Specific examples cited include calls to kill police, a 2011 remark about the London riots, and a 2012 comment in which Abd el-Fattah claimed he is racist. Many of the posts appear deleted or unverifiable and have been interpreted in various ways.
Abd el-Fattah issued a lengthy apology, stating the comments reflected the anger of a young man amid regional crises, some were misunderstood or taken out of context, and expressing regret for engaging in online insults.
UK politicians have claimed they were unaware of these posts. A No 10 source said Keir Starmer, his deputy, and the foreign secretary did not know about them. Some Conservative MPs have expressed regret over lobbying for Abd el-Fattah's release.
In 2014, Abd el-Fattah's tweets cost him nomination for the Sakharov Prize; in 2015, he said his comments had been taken out of context.
There are calls to revoke Abd el-Fattah’s British citizenship. Nigel Farage and Reform UK have pushed for this, while Kemi Badenoch and Chris Philp have advocated a review under the Immigration Act. Emily Thornberry cautioned such actions are not straightforward legal possibilities for British citizens.
UK counter-terrorism police (CTIRU) are reviewing the posts following Farage’s referral to authorities. The police stated referrals are being assessed and could lead to investigations if offences are identified.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah was granted British citizenship in 2021 by the Conservative government through a provision allowing citizenship transmission to children born abroad.
