British-Egyptian Rights Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah Apologises for Hurtful Tweets
Alaa Abd el-Fattah has issued an unreserved apology for a series of tweets written over a decade ago, describing them as shocking and hurtful. These posts, dating from 2010 to 2012 during the Arab Spring era, reflected the anger of a younger man amid crises in Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and police brutality against Egyptian youth.
Abd el-Fattah explained that he should have known better and clarified that some tweets cited as antisemitic or Holocaust-denying were in fact meant to mock those views. He emphasized his long-standing record as a non-violent pro-democracy advocate, noting multiple imprisonments in Egypt for defending rights and his support for minorities, LGBTQ rights, Christians, and democracy.
British citizenship was automatically granted to Abd el-Fattah in 2021 through his mother's UK origins; his mother was born in London and his grandmother studied in the UK. His past statements have drawn political reactions, including calls for his deportation by Kemi Badenoch and a counterterrorism police report by Nigel Farage. Some Labour MPs have criticized prior vetting processes as insufficient.
Earlier controversies involved his 2019 Sakharov prize nomination and a book chapter discussing armed struggle, neither of which fully addressed the contentious tweets. Abd el-Fattah insists his current activism fully reflects his commitment to equality and human rights. He frames his life as devoted to defending minorities and freedom of speech, highlighting personal milestones such as celebrating his son’s birthday and arguing that his freedom was denied because of his beliefs.
