Yvette Cooper initiates a probe into “serious information lapses” following the overlooked “abhorrent” social media posts by recently released activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah. The Foreign Secretary revealed that high-ranking officials were unaware of Mr. El-Fattah’s online comments suggesting violence against Zionists and law enforcement. El-Fattah entered the UK on Boxing Day after the travel ban was lifted post his prison release.
Both Yvette Cooper and PM Keir Starmer expressed their approval of his arrival but faced backlash when old tweets from 2010 resurfaced. The Foreign Secretary has called for a thorough review of the situation, highlighting the inadequacies in current procedures and due diligence practices.
Expressing deep concern amidst increasing antisemitism and recent attacks on Jewish communities, Cooper conveyed regret over the distress caused by the unexpected emergence of El-Fattah’s historical tweets. She emphasized the need for urgent review of the information failures and enhancement of due diligence systems within the department to prevent such oversights in the future.
El-Fattah, who obtained UK citizenship in December 2021 during Boris Johnson’s tenure as PM, has been urged by some political factions to have his citizenship revoked. However, there are currently no plans for this action despite calls for it. El-Fattah’s imprisonment on false news charges was condemned as a violation of international law, leading to his pardon by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi.
In his apology, El-Fattah acknowledged the hurt caused by his past comments, attributing them to youthful anger during regional crises. No. 10 defended the Government’s actions regarding El-Fattah’s case, emphasizing the importance of upholding the rights of unfairly detained British citizens while denouncing the offensive nature of his old tweets.
Government officials maintain that there are no grounds to strip El-Fattah of his citizenship, citing legal precedents that reserve such actions for cases involving fraud, dangerous criminals, or terrorists.