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A British-Egyptian activist has issued an unequivocal apology for “shocking and hurtful” past social media posts that appeared to call for violence against “Zionists,” while asserting that some of the content had been “completely twisted.” The controversy surrounding Alaa Abd El-Fattah emerged shortly after his return to the UK on Boxing Day following years of imprisonment in Egypt.
“I am shaken that, just as I am being reunited with my family for the first time in 12 years, several historic tweets of mine have been republished and used to question and attack my integrity and values, escalating to calls for the revocation of my citizenship,” Abd El-Fattah stated on Monday. “Looking at the tweets now – the ones that were not completely twisted out of their meaning – I do understand how shocking and hurtful they are, and for that I unequivocally apologise.”
From Arab Spring Leader to Controversy
Abd El-Fattah rose to prominence as a leading voice during Egypt’s 2011 Arab Spring uprising and became known for his hunger strikes while incarcerated. He was most recently detained in September 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison in December 2021 on charges of spreading false news – a conviction that drew condemnation from UN investigators who deemed his imprisonment a breach of international law. Both Conservative and Labour governments had actively lobbied for his release.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi pardoned Abd El-Fattah earlier this year, allowing him to travel to the UK to reunite with his young son, who resides in Brighton. Abd El-Fattah was granted UK citizenship in December 2021, reportedly through his UK-born mother.
Calls for Investigation and Potential Deportation
The resurfaced social media posts prompted swift calls for action from prominent political figures. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have all urged the Home Secretary to investigate whether Abd El-Fattah can be stripped of his UK citizenship and deported.
In his statement, Abd El-Fattah acknowledged his evolution since posting the controversial content. He characterized the posts as “mostly expressions of a young man’s anger and frustrations in a time of regional crises” and the “rise of police brutality against Egyptian youth.” He added, “I particularly regret some that were written as part of online insult battles with the total disregard for how they read to other people. I should have known better.”
Abd El-Fattah emphasized that he takes allegations of antisemitism “very seriously,” claiming some tweets were “misunderstood, seemingly in bad faith.” He asserted that a tweet alleging homophobia was, in fact, ridiculing homophobic views, and another was “wrongly interpreted to suggest Holocaust denial – but in fact the exchange shows that I was clearly mocking Holocaust denial.”
A History of Activism and Advocacy
Abd El-Fattah explained that he had been anticipating celebrating his son’s birthday with him for the first time since 2012, when his son was just one year old. He attributed his absence to his “consistent promotion of equality, justice and secular democracy,” which included “publicly rejecting anti-Jewish speech in Egypt, often at risk to myself, defence of LGBTQ rights, defence of Egyptian Christians, and campaigning against police torture and brutality – all at great risk.”
He expressed pain at seeing individuals who previously advocated for his release now expressing regret, but maintained, “Whatever they feel now, they did the right thing. Standing up for human rights and a citizen unjustly imprisoned is something honourable, and I will always be grateful for that solidarity.” Abd El-Fattah concluded by expressing gratitude for the “huge empathy and solidarity” he received from people across the UK, which he credited with securing his freedom.
A Foreign Office spokesperson affirmed that securing Abd El-Fattah’s release and reunion with his family had been a “long-standing priority under successive governments.” However, the spokesperson also stated that the government condemns the “abhorrent” historic tweets. It is understood that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was unaware of the social media posts when he initially celebrated Abd El-Fattah’s return to the UK.
Here is an image of Alaa Abd El-Fattah with his sister after his release from prison: https://twitter.com/monasosh.
Abd El-Fattah remains resolute in his commitment to the principles he has long championed, and expressed hope that his case will continue to inspire advocacy for human rights and justice.
