As politicians called for Alaa Abd el-Fattah to be stripped of his British citizenship for the content of historic social media posts, Reprieve issued the below statement, from Deputy CEO Dan Dolan.
“Suggesting that someone should be stripped of citizenship for something they posted on social media, however bad, is authoritarian overreach of the worst kind and a deeply dangerous step.
“In a country governed by the rule of law, politicians should not have the power to strip the legal rights of whomever they choose.
“That this alarming idea is even being suggested shows how extreme the UK’s citizenship-stripping powers are.
“The UK’s citizenship deprivation regime is inherently racist: it discriminates against British citizens with foreign heritage, leaving 3 out of 5 people of colour at risk of being stripped.”
The statement was picked up by the Guardian, Middle East Eye and the Morning Star, and Dan appeared on LBC, BBC Five Live and Radio Scotland.