The British government has become embroiled in a repatriation scandal of its own making, after championing the cause of an Egyptian activist for years, described as a “top priority,” only for his troubling social media history to emerge hours after his release was finally secured.

On Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “delighted” Alaa Abd el Fattah was back in the United Kingdom after spending the better part of a decade in and out of Egyptian prison. But on Monday, he changed his tune, describing old tweets as “absolutely abhorrent.”