Dame Emily Thornberry has slammed the UK government for "embarrassing failures" in the case of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, whose controversial social media posts from over a decade ago resurfaced after his return to Britain. The chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee argues the government's failures in due diligence could have been avoided if a promised envoy for detained Britons had been appointed.
The controversy erupted after Abd El-Fattah flew to the UK on Boxing Day following his release from Egyptian detention. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer initially welcomed his arrival, but days later condemned resurfaced tweets from 2010-2012 as "absolutely abhorrent." In one 2012 post, Abd El-Fattah called «killing any colonialists and specially Zionists heroic».
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged that ministers were never briefed on the problematic messages, calling it an «unacceptable failure». The admission has sparked fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
Thornberry's Envoy Demand
In a letter to Cooper, Thornberry wrote: «Thank you for your letter and for updating me on the troubling failures in due diligence and information sharing in relation to the case of Alaa Abd El Fattah. Your recognition of the distress caused to Jewish communities, particularly in the context of rising antisemitism in the UK and internationally, is necessary and welcome.»
She continued: «Had an envoy been established following the then-foreign secretary's commitment in 2024, with access the necessary FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) resources including staffing, it is clear to me that such embarrassing failures of due diligence and information sharing would have been avoided. It would have been firmly within the envoy's remit to carry out appropriate background and social media checks.»
Former Foreign Secretary David Lammy committed to introducing an envoy for "complex detention cases" in 2024, but the position has not been filled. Thornberry argued such an envoy would demonstrate zero tolerance for arbitrary detention of British citizens, increase confidence for detainees' families, and enable a "whole-of-government approach."
Political Fallout
Conservatives and Reform UK have called for Abd El-Fattah to be stripped of his British citizenship and removed from the UK. However, the law does not appear to provide grounds for deportation.
Downing Street described Abd El-Fattah's posts as «abhorrent» but deemed his subsequent apology «fairly fulsome».
Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who campaigned alongside Abd El-Fattah's supporters, defended his advocacy despite being shocked by the revelations. He told the Press Association: «I don't regret campaigning for Alaa, nor does Nazanin, even if we were surprised by what has emerged. [...] Of course, I was shocked by some of his posts. I had no idea, and I should have known. [...] Some things just look horrible and indefensible whatever the context was. Maybe they resonated differently in Cairo a decade ago, but they are indefensible to anyone reading in London now fearing the polarisation of the world.»
He stressed that human rights are «not like Father Christmas's presents» and added: «You don't just get them if you are good.»
Abd El-Fattah's Apology
Abd El-Fattah issued an apology, describing his controversial posts as «mostly expressions of a young man's anger and frustrations in a time of regional crises (the wars on Iraq, on Lebanon and Gaza), and the rise of police brutality against Egyptian youth».
He said: «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.» He added: «I do understand how shocking and hurtful they are, and for that I unequivocally apologise.»
Background
Abd El-Fattah was granted UK citizenship in December 2021 under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He was imprisoned in Egypt on charges of spreading false news, which UN investigators branded a breach of international law.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi pardoned him in September following years of lobbying by both Conservative and Labour governments.
Thornberry emphasized in her PA interview that people need to know «the sort of person they are going out to bat for». But she maintained: «That doesn't change the fact that we have an obligation to assist British citizens no matter who they are, and particularly if they have been unlawfully detained which, you know, I think is an argument that this man had.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
