Starmer Criticised for Celebrating Activist’s Return from Egypt
On 28 December 2025, Sir Keir Starmer faced criticism for celebrating the return of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a British-Egyptian dual national, from Egypt. Abd El-Fattah had been detained since 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison for spreading false news. He was pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in September and subsequently reunited with his family in the UK.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary David Lammy also posted messages supporting his return. However, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick described these remarks as a serious error of judgment, citing Abd El-Fattah's past statements from 2010 to 2012 that appeared extremist, including comments about violence toward Zionists and the police.
In 2014, Abd El-Fattah’s nomination for the Sakharov Prize was withdrawn following a controversial tweet from 2012, with his supporters withdrawing the nomination citing this tweet. The Jewish Leadership Council criticised the government’s welcoming language, referencing recent antisemitic attacks in Manchester and Bondi Beach, and warned that such language could be interpreted as a call to action.
UN investigators had described Abd El-Fattah’s imprisonment as a breach of international law, and he was freed after the presidential pardon. Conservatives had lobbied for his release, with the Foreign Office stating that as a British citizen, securing his release and return to his family has long been a priority.
