British-Egyptian Activist Appears to Support Allegations of a ‘Smear Campaign’

The British-Egyptian activist embroiled in a political controversy seems to have backed recent unsubstantiated claims alleging he is the target of a ‘smear campaign.’

Alaa Abd El Fattah arrived in the UK on Friday, reuniting with his family for the first time in 12 years after being released from an Egyptian prison, where human rights organizations claimed he had been unjustly incarcerated.

The Prime Minister expressed his support for Abd El Fattah’s return via a post on X, yet soon faced backlash when old social media remarks resurfaced in which Abd El Fattah advocated violence against Zionists and police officers.

In response to the resurfacing of these posts, Sir Keir Starmer stated he was unaware of the ‘absolutely abhorrent’ comments, which Abd El Fattah has since expressed remorse for. He mentioned that the government is currently reviewing the information lapses related to this case.

‘With the rise of antisemitism and the recent horrific attacks, I recognize this has intensified the distress for many within the Jewish community in the UK,’ he remarked.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has directed a senior civil servant to investigate why current and previous ministers were uninformed about Abd El Fattah’s earlier statements.

In a statement released early Monday, Abd El Fattah acknowledged the ‘shocking and hurtful’ nature of his past remarks, clarifying that they were merely ‘expressions of a young man’s anger.’

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson welcomed the apology, describing it as a ‘fairly fulsome acknowledgment of wrongdoing, which is undoubtedly the appropriate course of action.’

However, shortly after this apology, BBC News discovered that Abd El Fattah’s Facebook account had liked a post from another user that characterized the criticism against him as a ‘relentless smear campaign’ orchestrated by ‘the wealthiest man in the world, several Middle Eastern intelligence agencies, and a few Zionist organizations.’

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick pointed to a second post liked by Abd El Fattah’s Facebook account on the same day, which claimed he was a victim of a Zionist-led campaign. Although BBC News has documented a screenshot of this post, the original message has since been removed.

Jenrick asserted that these two posts ‘demonstrate that Abd El Fattah’s apology was disingenuous and premeditated.’ He further emphasized, ‘Instead of distancing himself from his extremist views, he appears to reaffirm them, portraying himself as the target of a conspiracy rather than expressing genuine contrition.’

He added that these comments ‘indicate that the criteria for revoking his citizenship may have been met, given that he poses a threat to national security and his presence in the UK is evidently not beneficial to the public good.’

Abd El Fattah’s Facebook account had previously shared a touching photo of his reunion with his 14-year-old son Khaled upon his arrival in the UK.

The activist, who has endured over a decade of imprisonment, gained recognition during the 2011 uprising that led to the ousting of then-Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

In 2021, he was convicted of ‘spreading false information’ for sharing a Facebook post regarding torture, a trial widely criticized by human rights advocates as unfair.

He acquired British citizenship in December 2021, during the Conservative government’s tenure, qualifying through his mother who was born in London.

Following the emergence of his old tweets, the Conservatives and Reform UK have urged the government to revoke his British citizenship and deport him.

While the Home Secretary possesses the authority to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals if deemed ‘not conducive to the public good,’ such decisions have typically been reserved for cases related to terrorism or serious organized crime where individuals are considered threats to national security.

It is believed that Downing Street feels this high threshold is not applicable in this situation. Additionally, any move to revoke citizenship is likely to encounter extensive and costly legal challenges.

The activist had been withdrawn from consideration for a human rights award a decade ago due to comments he had made online about Israel in 2012.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy remarked that it is appropriate for the government to investigate why ministers were previously unaware of these statements.

‘What he expressed was undoubtedly quite disturbing. No one, especially not the government, would endorse such views. An inquiry by the Foreign Office is currently underway to determine how these tweets went unnoticed,’ he stated.