Senior Conservatives are calling for Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a recently released Egyptian activist with British citizenship, to have his UK citizenship revoked due to historic tweets. These tweets, dating back to 2010, appear to express calls for violence against Zionists and the police. Despite Mr. Abd El-Fattah issuing an apology, stating that the posts were expressions of anger from a young man during times of regional crisis and police brutality, and regretting their hurtful nature, some Conservatives, including Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and party leader Kemi Badenoch, have deemed the apology "insincere," and described the comments as "disgusting and vile." Mr. Philp suggested that if he were in government, he would deport Mr. Abd El-Fattah, emphasizing that dual nationals expressing views "not conducive to the public good" can have their citizenship stripped.
Mr. Abd El-Fattah was imprisoned in Egypt for spreading false news, a detention UN investigators branded a breach of international law, and was pardoned in September after significant lobbying efforts. He arrived in the UK on Boxing Day after a travel ban was lifted, reuniting with his son. The activist, who gained UK citizenship in December 2021, expressed distress that his historic tweets were being used to question his integrity and lead to calls for the revocation of his citizenship, asserting that some posts were taken out of context. He also noted the pain of seeing some who supported his release now express regret. The Foreign Office stated that Mr. Abd El-Fattah is a British citizen and that successive governments have prioritized his release and reunion with his family, while also condemning his historic tweets as abhorrent.
