Government Criticized for Information Failures in Abd el-Fattah Case
Emily Thornberry, chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, has highlighted serious shortcomings in information sharing regarding the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. She called for the appointment of a dedicated envoy to handle complex detention and citizenship checks, noting that such a role, if established in 2024 as originally planned, would have prevented the embarrassing failures in due diligence and information sharing observed in this case.
Abd el-Fattah, aged 44, returned to the UK on Boxing Day after being pardoned and released from prison in Egypt. He was granted British citizenship in 2021 by the Conservative government, which, along with successive UK governments, had campaigned for his release. In the days after his return, old social media posts dated back to 2010 resurfaced, prompting Abd el-Fattah to issue an unequivocal apology for the tweets.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially welcomed Abd el-Fattah’s arrival but later condemned the resurfaced social media posts, stating he was unaware of them beforehand. In contrast, Conservatives and Reform UK have advocated for deporting Abd el-Fattah and revoking his British citizenship. Shadow home secretary Robert Jenrick pointed to a post reportedly from Abd el-Fattah’s sister, Mona Seif, dated 7 October 2023, along with other posts from 2011 and 2010, which are under scrutiny in connection with the case.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has initiated a review into the serious information failures that occurred. The government has stated that the Home Office will not strip Abd el-Fattah of his citizenship, as the past posts do not meet the legal threshold for such action. Meanwhile, human rights groups have described the idea of revoking citizenship on these grounds as authoritarian.
Former foreign secretary David Lammy had announced in 2024 the government’s intention to appoint an envoy to address complex detention cases involving Britons abroad, but no such figure has yet been named.
