The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has ordered an urgent review into serious information failures by the Foreign Office regarding the case of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah. Abd El-Fattah, who was recently released from prison in Egypt and returned to the United Kingdom, faced criticism after historic social media posts resurfaced in which he appeared to call for violence against 'Zionists.' These posts, dating back to 2010, were unknown to officials and successive prime ministers, prompting concerns over inadequate due diligence and procedures within the department.

Abd El-Fattah has issued an unequivocal apology for his 'shocking and hurtful' posts, stating that some were taken out of context and others were expressions of youthful anger during times of regional conflict. While some political figures have called for his citizenship to be revoked, there are currently no plans for this. The government has defended its handling of the case, emphasizing its commitment to political and religious freedom, but has condemned the nature of the historic tweets.