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Labour says it will not strip Egyptian activist's citizenship over past tweets
Summary
Labour has ruled out removing dual national Alaa Abd El‑Fattah's UK citizenship over past tweets, saying they do not meet the high legal threshold; Abd El‑Fattah has apologised and returned to the UK after a pardon in Egypt.
Content
Labour has said it will not strip dual national Alaa Abd El‑Fattah of his UK citizenship over past social media posts that called for violence. Ministers told reporters the messages did not meet the high legal threshold required to deprive someone of citizenship. A source told The Guardian that officials had missed some posts for years and that the legal bar for removal was set deliberately high. Abd El‑Fattah has apologised for earlier comments and returned to the UK after being pardoned in Egypt.
Key points:
- Labour says it will not remove Alaa Abd El‑Fattah's British citizenship and cites legal standards for that decision.
- A source told The Guardian the posts were missed for years and did not meet the high legal threshold for deprivation.
- Abd El‑Fattah has apologised for past tweets and returned to the UK after a pardon in Egypt.
- Several Conservative and Reform UK MPs urged the government to review the possibility of revocation, but ministers have declined to act.
Summary:
The government's decision leaves Abd El‑Fattah in the UK and has prompted debate across parties and among campaigners. Undetermined at this time.
