Egyptian activist Ahmed AbdelKader was released by London police without charge two days after his arrest, a case that ignited a diplomatic spat, and revealed a coordinated campaign to protect Egypt’s embassies from pro-Palestinian protests.
The release of AbdelKader, known online as “Mido,” followed a strongly worded intervention by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who pressed Britain’s National Security Adviser for details and demanded his swift release, according to Egypt's foreign ministry.
AbdelKader’s arrest, and that of an associate in the Netherlands, drew condemnation from Egypt's pro-government National Front Party, which called it a “gross violation of human rights.” The party demanded a formal apology from the United Kingdom and called for the removal of security barriers around the British embassy in Cairo in retaliation.
The events underscore the tension surrounding Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad, which have become targets for protesters accusing Cairo of complicity in Israel’s blockade of Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
The 'lions' of the embassy
AbdelKader, who describes himself as the head of an investment company, is a prominent online organizer of pro-government Egyptian expatriates. Alongside Ahmed Nasser, who uses the moniker “Dabbaba” (Tank), he co-launched a Facebook campaign to “protect Egyptian embassies from assaults.”
Their actions followed Foreign Minister Abdelatty’s call this month for embassies to guard their premises closely after an activist placed locks on the embassy gates in the Netherlands.
In a leaked video of a meeting with diplomats, Abdelatty gave explicit instructions. “If someone splashes paint, bring him in by the neck, handcuff him, and call the police. Tell them he harassed the embassy,” he told the attendants. He stated these measures were the same ones he applied when he was posted in Brussels in 2012 in response to the protests that followed the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.
However, in an op-ed published by state-aligned Al-Ahram, Abdelatty’s public tone shifted, arguing that targeting missions was an “attack on sovereignty.”
Arrests and accusations
Video clips circulating online showed London police officers struggling to restrain a resisting AbdelKader during his arrest. Dutch-based activist Anas Habib, whose legal team tracked AbdelKader, posted on X accusing AbdelKader of being drunk and carrying a knife, claims that could not be independently verified by Al Manassa.
Nasser was arrested around the same time by Dutch police. Details of that arrest were not immediately available.
Following his release, AbdelKader taunted his critics on Facebook, daring them to “approach the embassy if you’re man enough.”
Diplomatic pressure and hero's welcome
AbdelKader’s release was celebrated by his associates and state-aligned media. Nasser hailed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for defending citizens abroad and praised Abdelatty as a “real man” in a Facebook post, describing Mido as a “hero” who forced London to back down.
Major Egyptian outlets like Al-Ahram, Al-Watan and Youm7 framed AbdelKader as a “national hero,” echoing the government's messaging.
The National Front Party, a new party composed of former ministers and business figures, said it “will not protect those who do not protect us” and urged a review of privileges for foreign embassies in Cairo.
Debate over double standards
The incident reignited debate over the case of Alaa Abdel Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist jailed in Egypt since 2019 on charges of spreading false news. His continued detention has fueled international criticism.
Pro-government influencers seized on the parallel to accuse Britain of hypocrisy. “Alaa commits crimes in Egypt and gets rewarded with British citizenship, while AbdelKader defends his country’s embassies and gets ambushed in London,” wrote influencer Loay Alkhteeb.
