Dissident was freed by Egypt after campaign by successive UK governments but offensive posts have surfaced
The decision by successive UK governments to campaign for the release and return of British-Egyptian democracy activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been called into question after past violent and offensive social media posts came to light.
The dissident’s historical remarks – in which he appeared to call for violence towards “Zionists” and the police – have prompted a widespread backlash since his return from detention in Egypt on Friday.
Keir Starmer faces criticism after initially welcoming Abd el-Fattah back to the UK and saying his release had been a “top priority” for the government, although it is understood the prime minister was not aware of the online posts at the time.
However, Jewish organisations have criticised the “effusive” response and said the years-long campaign to secure the activist’s release, backed by successive Labour and Conservative administrations, showed a “lack of due diligence”.
