If you thought his arrival in Britain would see activist Alaa Abdel Fattah leave the headlines, you thought wrong. The Egyptian-British national faces backlash from the right wing after past social media posts deemed “violent and offensive” resurfaced, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer facing just as much criticism after voicing his “delight” with Abdel Fattah’s return to the UK. The Guardian and BBC are out with reports that Starmer and his government are facing mounting criticism from MPs and the Jewish community over their role in securing the release of the activist, whose posts called for violence against zionists and the police.

The fallout is now playing out across British politics and institutions. Downing Street has sought to distance itself from the activist after initially welcoming his release, with the Foreign Office condemning his past remarks while stressing that his freedom remained a priority. Several senior Conservative figures who previously lobbied for Abdel Fattah’s release have publicly expressed regret for doing so.

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