Sir Keir Starmer has come under attack after he expressed “delight” over a political prisoner being returned to the UK from Egypt. Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British citizen who had spent more than a decade in prison and was convicted of “spreading fake news”, was granted a pardon by the Egyptian government, which was supported by A-list celebrities and the Labour party.
However, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the PM for his comments, especially in the wake of the horrifying antisemitic terror attack on Bondi Beach, on the grounds that Abd el-Fattah had previously called for the killing of Israelis on his social media. Pointing to Sir Keir’s recent pledge to “eradicate antisemitism in the UK” following the terror attack, he deemed the comments a “serious error of judgment”.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also released statements on X, stating they were “delighted” about his return to Britain this week.
A letter addressed to the Government said: “Yesterday you said you were ‘delighted’ that Alaa Abd El-Fattah is back in this country, described his case as a ‘top priority’ for your Government, and thanked President Sisi for granting a pardon.
“That was not quiet consular support. It was a personal, public endorsement from the Prime Minister. Given Mr Abd El-Fattah’s record of extremist statements… it was a serious error of judgement.”
According to The Times of Israel, Mr Abd El-Fattah wrote on November 15, 2012, “there is a critical number of Israelis that we need to kill and then the (Palestine) problem is solved”.
The following day, he reportedly wrote: “There should be no equal relations with Israel or any other relations. Israel must come to an end.”
Mr Jenrick highlight that Mr Abd el-Fattah’s nomination for the human rights Sakharov Prize was revoked when these comments came to light.
Continuing his letter to the PM, Mr Jenrick said the “timing could scarcely be worse” by choosing to “welcome him publicly” at a time when Jewish communities “are understandably deeply worried and looking to you for leadership on extremism”.
Asking the Labour leader if he would condemn the alleged remarks, he continued: “Did you know about these statements before you issued your ‘delighted’ message?”
Alaa Abd el-Fattah had been a prominent pro-democracy campaigner in Egypt, and had most recently been imprisoned on charges of “spreading fake news” over a Facebook post about torture in the country.
He was a key figure and blogger during the Egyptian Uprising of 2011, which led to the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak, who was later made to stand trial over the death of peaceful protestors.
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi granted Mr Abd el-Fattah a pardon in September, but he was prevented from leaving the country. He has flown to the UK this week after being removed from the travel ban list.
He gets his British Citizenship from his mother, Laila Soueif, who almost died twice while on hunger strike to push for his release.
A London-born mathematics professor, she met Sir Keir to lobby for her son’s freedom. Campaigning received backing from celebrities such as Dame Judi Dench and Olivia Colman.
Sir Keir’s message on X that triggered Mr Jenrick’s remarks read: “I’m delighted that Alaa Abd El-Fattah is back in the UK and has been reunited with his loved ones, who must be feeling profound relief.
“I want to pay tribute to Alaa’s family, and to all those that have worked and campaigned for this moment. Alaa’s case has been a top priority for my government since we came to office. I’m grateful to President Sisi for his decision to grant the pardon.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy added: “Delighted that Alaa Abd El-Fattah has been reunited with his family in the UK. I thank the Government of Egypt for this outcome. I first met Alaa’s family in Opposition, and I committed to them then that I would do everything I could to advocate for his return. It’s an immense relief that this has now happened.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I’m delighted that Alaa Abd El-Fattah has arrived in the UK and is with his family. Alaa’s case has been a top priority for our Government and I welcome President Sisi’s granting of this pardon. I pay tribute to Alaa’s family for their tireless determination to be reunited.”
A Government spokesman told GB News: “Mr El-Fattah is a British citizen. It has been a long-standing priority under successive governments to work for his release from detention, and to see him reunited with his family in the UK.”’
