British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing criticism after welcoming home a recently released Egyptian prisoner who had reportedly posted violent and anti-Semitic language on his social media in the past.
Successive British governments have pushed for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian national who spent most of the past fourteen years behind bars in Egypt.
He was released from prison in September after a pardon from Egypt’s president, but remained in the country under a travel ban that was only recently lifted, allowing him to return to Britain on Friday.
Starmer celebrated Abd el-Fattah’s return by saying he was “delighted” that the activist had been reunited with his family in Britain.
TRUMP SECURES EXEMPTION OF AMERICAN PRISONED FOR YEARS IN SAUDI ARABIA FROM ONLINE POSTS
Pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah after receiving a presidential pardon. (AP)
Meanwhile, a senior member of the opposition Conservative Party criticized Starmer for giving Abd el-Fattah “personal, public support”.
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and shadow lord chancellor, wanted to know whether Starmer was aware of previous social media posts in which Abd el-Fattah allegedly approved the killing of Zionists and police. Jenrick also demanded Starmer condemn Abd el-Fattah’s comments and withdraw his “unadulterated support” for the activist.
“No one should be imprisoned arbitrarily or for peaceful dissent,” Jenrick wrote. “But the Prime Minister should also not put the authority of his office behind someone whose words intersect with the language of racism and bloodshed.”
Jenrick, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have called for Abd el-Fattah’s British citizenship to be revoked and his deportation.
BRITISH COMEDIC WRITER GRAHAM LINEHAN ARRESTED OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS IN WHICH HE CRITICIZED TRANS ACTIVITIES
Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s return by saying he was “delighted” that the activist had been reunited with his family in Britain. ((Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images))
The British government later clarified that the Prime Minister was not aware of the “abhorrent” social media posts when he made the welcoming statement.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement that it was a “long-standing priority” of governments under both major parties to press for Abd el-Fattah’s release, but said this did not imply an endorsement of his social media posts.
“The government condemns Mr. El-Fattah’s historic tweets and considers them abhorrent,” the statement said.
Abd el-Fattah issued an “unequivocal apology” on Sunday, describing his past comments as “expressions of a young man’s anger” during regional crises and police brutality in Egypt.
The British government said it finds Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s social media posts “abhorrent.” (Andrew Aitchison / In photos via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Abd el-Fattah’s family in Britain had argued that he spent most of the past 14 years behind bars for his opposition to the government of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
His mother, Laila Soueif, 69, was on hunger strike for 10 months to pressure British authorities to do more to secure her son’s freedom.
Shortly after Abd el-Fattah arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport, critics began spreading his earlier posts on social media. Abd el-Fattah has previously said the comments were taken out of context and were part of a “private conversation” that took place during an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to The Times of London.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
