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Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has expressed strong criticism of Sir Keir Starmer for publicly welcoming the arrival of Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to the UK. This backlash follows the resurfacing of historical social media posts in which Abdel Fattah seemingly called for the killing of Zionists. Abdel Fattah, who holds dual British nationality, was released from prison in Egypt earlier this week after receiving a presidential pardon.
Abdel Fattah had been convicted in 2021 for “spreading fake news” after sharing a Facebook post documenting torture in Egypt. The UK prime minister stated that he was “delighted” the activist had arrived safely in the UK and emphasized that his case had been a “top priority” for the government. However, Jenrick argued that Sir Keir’s public comments were a “serious error of judgement,” pointing to Abdel Fattah’s past messages endorsing violence against “Zionists” and “police.”
Jenrick went on to assert that the prime minister’s statement amounted to a “personal, public endorsement” of Abdel Fattah, whose language he described as crossing into “racism and bloodshed.” He insisted that while no one should be imprisoned arbitrarily or for peaceful protest, the government should not support someone with such controversial language. Several cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary David Lammy, also issued supportive posts following Abdel Fattah’s safe arrival. Meanwhile, the Jewish Leadership Council, which represents Jewish organizations in the UK, condemned what it termed as an overly “effusive welcome” by the UK government.
The BBC has learned that the prime minister was not made aware of the activist’s problematic messages until recently. The government has described those statements as abhorrent. Abdel Fattah’s release came in September following a sustained campaign by his family, supported by public figures like actresses Dame Judi Dench and Olivia Colman, as well as lobbying efforts from the British government. He had spent over ten years in prison, including a five-year sentence handed down in December 2021 after a trial that human rights groups criticized as unfair. The previous Conservative government had also sought his release, with a government spokesperson confirming that securing the freedom of this British citizen had been a longstanding priority.
Labour sources accused Jenrick of attempting to manipulate the facts for political gain. Abdel Fattah, known as a writer, intellectual, and software developer, rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising which led to Hosni Mubarak’s resignation. In 2014, he was nominated for the European human rights Sakharov Prize, but the nomination was withdrawn due to the controversy over his 2012 tweets about Israel. Abdel Fattah has explained that these comments were part of a private conversation during an Israeli military campaign in Gaza, and that they were taken out of context.
Following his release and removal from a travel ban that had confined him within Egypt for months, Abdel Fattah has reunited with his 14-year-old son, who lives in Brighton. Speaking to the BBC from Cairo in October, Abdel Fattah said he was “learning how to get back into life” and added, “I’m doing much better than I would have expected. Much better than most people would have expected.
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