Starmer criticised for celebrating activist's return from Egypt

Sir Keir Starmer is facing disapproval for celebrating the instrumentality of a British activistic from detention successful Egypt successful airy of his past societal media posts.

The premier curate said connected Friday that helium was "delighted" that Alaa Abd El-Fattah had been reunited with his loved ones successful the UK.

The sentiment was echoed by furniture ministers including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary David Lammy with akin posts.

But shadiness justness caput Robert Jenrick said Sir Keir's "endorsement" of Mr Abd El-Fattah showed mediocre judgement fixed past societal media posts that look to amusement "extremist" views "about violence, Jews and the police".

The Jewish Leadership Council, a foundation which represents Jewish organisations crossed the UK, besides criticised the "effusive welcome" from the UK government.

Mr Abd El-Fattah, a British-Egyptian dual national, was detained successful Egypt successful 2019 and was aboriginal sentenced to 5 years successful situation connected charges of spreading mendacious news.

His imprisonment was branded a breach of planetary instrumentality by UN investigators and helium was freed aft being pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi successful September. The Conservatives had besides lobbied for his release.

Mr Abd El-Fattah was a starring dependable successful Egypt's 2011 Arab Spring uprising and went connected hunger strikes down bars.

Sir Keir wrote connected X: "I'm delighted that Alaa Abd El-Fattah is backmost successful the UK and has been reunited with his loved ones, who indispensable beryllium feeling profound relief.

"I privation to wage tribute to Alaa's family, and to each those that person worked and campaigned for this moment.

"Alaa's lawsuit has been a apical precedence for my authorities since we came to office. I'm grateful to President Sisi for his determination to assistance the pardon."

Shadow justness caput Mr Jenrick said the remarks represent a "personal, nationalist endorsement" from the premier minister.

"Given Mr Abd El-Fattah's grounds of extremist statements astir violence, Jews and the police, it was a superior mistake of judgment," helium wrote.

Mr Jenrick referred to posts online going backmost arsenic acold arsenic 2010 that appeared to beryllium from Mr Abd El-Fattah's X account.

They see respective posts that look to telephone for unit towards "zionists" and the police.

In 2014, his posts connected Twitter outgo him a information for the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize.

The radical backing him withdrew the information for the quality rights award, saying they had discovered a tweet from 2012 successful which helium called for the execution of Israelis.

In his missive to the premier minister, Mr Jenrick asked him to clarify whether helium knew astir Mr Abd El-Fattah's statements earlier helium posted that helium was "delighted" astatine his release.

He asked if Sir Keir would "correct the record" and retreat the "unalloyed endorsement".

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He said: "Nobody should beryllium imprisoned arbitrarily, nor for peaceful dissent. But neither should the premier curate spot the authorization of his bureau down idiosyncratic whose ain words transverse into the connection of racism and bloodshed."

The Jewish Leadership Council besides voiced concerns successful the aftermath of caller antisemitic attacks successful Manchester and at Australia's Bondi Beach.

The assembly said: "We are appalled by the effusive invited Alaa Abd El-Fattah has received from the UK government.

"The premier curate precocious reiterated his determination to basal retired antisemitism from our state but has present shared his delight that idiosyncratic who has advocated for sidesplitting Zionists has arrived successful the UK.

"We cognize from Heaton Park, Manchester and Bondi Beach that determination are those who perceive specified words arsenic a telephone to action.

"The authorities has celebrated Mr Abd El-Fattah's accomplishment arsenic a victory, British Jews volition spot it arsenic yet different reminder of the information we face."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "Mr El-Fattah is simply a British citizen. It has been a long-standing precedence nether successive governments to enactment for his merchandise from detention, and to spot him reunited with his household successful the UK."