Alaa Abd El-Fattah Issues Apology for "Painful" Posts Amidst UK Political Uproar and Deportation Calls

British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah issued a formal apology on Monday for past social media posts that he described as "shocking and painful." These posts, dating back to between 2008 and 2014, surfaced following his recent return to London, sparking a political crisis for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. Abd El-Fattah stated that the tweets were expressions of youthful "anger and frustration" during regional crises, though he acknowledged that some were unacceptable.

The apology comes as opposition figures, including Nigel Farage of the Reform Party and Kemi Badenoch of the Conservatives, called for his deportation, citing posts that allegedly incited violence. While the British Foreign Office condemned the historical tweets as "abhorrent," the Board of Deputies of British Jews raised "grave concerns" regarding the vetting process. The controversy has put the Labour government under intense scrutiny for its enthusiastic welcome of the activist following his release from an Egyptian prison.