Over 350 trade unionists from across the UK and beyond have signed a statement expressing solidarity with British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, after a wave of attacks led by Tory and Reform politicians greeted his arrival in the UK after years as a political prisoner in Egypt. The statement highlights Alaa’s rejection of antisemitism, racism and homophobia, a position he has made clear in a post on his campaign website published on 29 December, where he apologised for historic statements which were “shocking and hurtful”. He said:

“I take accusations of antisemitism very seriously. I have always believed that sectarianism and racism are the most sinister and dangerous of forces, and I did my part and paid the price for standing up for the rights of religious minorities in Egypt. I faced a military tribunal and imprisonment for defending Christians in Egypt falsely accused of violence. This weekend was supposed to be the first time I celebrated my son’s birthday with him since 2012, when he was one year old. I have been imprisoned in Egypt for almost his entire life for my consistent promotion of equality, justice and secular democracy. That included publicly rejecting anti-Jewish speech in Egypt, often at risk to myself, defence of LGBTQ rights, defence of Egyptian Christians, and campaigning against police torture and brutality – all at great risk. And, indeed, my freedom was stripped from me for these defences of human rights. These values are core to my identity.”

The solidarity statement condemns the calls to revoke Alaa’s British citizenship, which are being orchestrated by racist politicians. Signatories insist:

“We are appalled by the intense campaign vilifying him which includes calls to revoke his British citizenship, particularly by Tory and Reform politicians whose motivation is to whip up a racist storm in the media. Unlike those attacking Alaa, we will continue to organise and campaign for a world free of all forms of apartheid, colonial occupation and racism, including bigotry directed at Jews, Christians and Muslims because of their faith, and we applaud his courage in standing up for justice.”

What you can do:

• Add your name to the solidarity statement by signing here: https://menasolidaritynetwork.com/2025/12/29/statement-solidarity-with-alaa-abd-el-fattah/
• Show your support for other political prisoners in Egypt, such as cartoonist Ashraf Omar, who now faces trial on “terrorism” charges. Read more here about the campaign to free him.
• Call on the British government to stop sending arms to Egypt’s authoritarian regime.