Dissident Apologizes for Controversial Tweets Amid Deportation Calls

Mon Dec 29 2025 16:50:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Alaa Abd El Fattah, the British-Egyptian activist, is facing calls for deportation after apologizing for resurfaced tweets that called for violence against certain groups. This comes days after his return to the UK from Egypt, following years in prison.

Alaa Abd El Fattah, a British-Egyptian democracy activist, has issued an apology for previously posted tweets that have drawn criticism as the UK government receives increasing calls for his deportation. Conservatives argue that his citizenship should be revoked due to the anti-Semitic nature of his comments. Despite the backlash, Abd El Fattah claims that some statements have been misinterpreted. His return follows a long campaign and recognition of his activism for human rights.

British-Egyptian democracy activist Alaa Abd El Fattah has apologized for several of his old tweets that have resurfaced, as calls grow for him to be deported from the UK days after he arrived following his release from an Egyptian jail.

Tory and Reform UK leaders say the home secretary should consider whether Abd El Fattah, a dual national, can be removed after social media messages showed him calling for Zionists and police to be killed. The Times reports some senior Labour MPs are also calling for his citizenship to be removed.

After reviewing the historic posts, Abd El Fattah said: I do understand how shocking and hurtful they are, and for that I unequivocally apologise. He added, 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 said he took allegations of antisemitism 'very seriously' while arguing that some of the posts had been completely twisted out of their meaning.

Sir Keir Starmer has been criticized for saying he was delighted by Abd El Fattah's arrival in the UK on Friday, three months after he was freed from prison in Egypt, but it is understood he was unaware of the historical messages.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage both said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood should look at whether Abd El Fattah's citizenship could be revoked to enable his swift removal from the UK. Farage stated that anyone with racist and anti-British views shouldn't be allowed in the UK.

The Foreign Office condemned Abd El Fattah's posts as abhorrent while acknowledging the efforts that led to his release and return.

Abd El Fattah was previously convicted in Egypt for spreading fake news after sharing a Facebook post and has spent a significant part of his life in prison for his activism. Despite the outdated tweets causing controversy, he contends many of them were misinterpreted and taken out of context.