Egyptian 'extremist' backs claims he is victim of 'Zionist' plot against him despite apologising for anti-Semitic and anti-British tweets
The dissident, 44, flew back on Boxing Day after being freed fromp rison in Egypt following UN investigation which found his imprisonment to be a breach of international law.
Controversial Egyptian dissident Alaa Abd El-Fattah has backed a claim that he is the victim of a 'Zionist' plot.
El-Fattah, 44, flew back to the UK on Boxing Day after being freed from Wadi el-Natrun Prison in Egypt following an investigation by the UN which found his imprisonment for spreading false news to be a breach of international law.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced criticism for expressing his 'delight' at El-Fattah's return and saying he is 'welcome' in Britain after a slew of aggressively anti-Semitic and anti-British tweets he posted in his 30s surfaced online.
El-Fattah issued a qualified apology early yesterday as the backlash grew, but suggested that some of his rants had been 'twisted' out of context.
However, the day before releasing his lengthy apology, El-Fattah was found to have liked a Facebook post by Egyptian lawyer and activist Khaled Ali that said he was a victim of a 'campaign launched by the Zionists'.
No 10 defended Keir Starmer's handling of the case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, amid calls for him to be stripped of his British citizenship over the vile outbursts about Jews, the police and white people.
Yvette Cooper last night ordered an urgent inquiry into 'serious information failures' that left ministers blindsided by El-Fattah's resurfaced extremist comments, despite them being a matter of public controversy for years.
The Foreign Secretary said checks on his background had been 'completely inadequate'.
Sir Keir last night acknowledged that social media posts in which El-Fattah called for the murder of Jews and police officers – and voiced his hatred of white people – were 'abhorrent'.
El-Fattah, 44, issued a qualified apology early yesterday as the backlash grew, but suggested that some of his rants had been 'twisted' out of context
The day before releasing his lengthy apology, El-Fattah was found to have liked a Facebook post by Egyptian lawyer and activist Khaled Ali that he was a victim of a 'campaign launched by the Zionists'
Downing Street insisted the PM was not aware of them when he voiced his 'delight' at El-Fattah's arrival in the UK last week.
But he did not delete his tweet welcoming him to the UK. And asked if he remained 'delighted' now that he had seen details of El-Fattah's comments, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'We welcome the return of a British citizen unfairly detained abroad, as we would in all cases.'
The Conservatives branded El-Fattah a 'scumbag' who should be deported. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'It beggars belief that Starmer still 'welcomes' this anti-British, anti-white, anti-Semitic extremist to our country. It's clear he won't revoke his citizenship, won't deport him and doesn't regret bringing him here.'