Keir Starmer Faces Backlash for Welcoming Home Freed Egyptian Prisoner Amid Controversial Social Media Posts
Keir Starmer faced criticism after he welcomed home Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian national recently freed from Egyptian prison, whose past social media posts containing violent and antisemitic language resurfaced. Abd el-Fattah had spent approximately 14 years in prison and was released in September through a presidential pardon. His travel ban was lifted, allowing him to return to the UK on December 26, 2025.
Starmer expressed that he was delighted Abd el-Fattah was reunited with his family in Britain. However, Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow justice secretary, questioned whether Starmer was aware of Abd el-Fattah’s past posts and called on him to condemn them and retract his endorsement. Additionally, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage demanded that Abd el-Fattah’s British citizenship be revoked and that he be deported.
The government responded by clarifying that Starmer was not aware of the controversial posts when he issued his welcoming statement. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office condemned Abd el-Fattah's historic tweets as abhorrent but stated that supporting his release did not imply endorsement of those views.
In response, Abd el-Fattah issued an unequivocal apology, explaining that the comments were made during a time of anger prompted by regional crises and police brutality in Egypt. His mother, Laila Soueif, 69, had been on a 10-month hunger strike to pressure authorities to secure his freedom.
