The British Home Office revoked the visa of Egyptian opposition TV anchor Moataz Matar, for allegedly supporting the Hamas movement in Gaza, after he took part in a pro-Palestine demonstration. This coincides with France’s deportation of French activist Maryam Abu Daqqa, on charges of supporting the Palestinian resistance.
The British Home Office took the decision to place Moataz on arrival watch lists, which means he cannot return to Britain.
According to the British newspaper “The Telegraph”, on Saturday, November 11, Moataz Matar is the first foreign citizen whose visa was canceled by the Home Office for this reason.
British press sources reported that the Home Office is considering canceling the visas of at least 6 foreign citizens after being informed of their “anti-Semitic” behavior, as the same sources described it.
In Britain, the Home Office has powers to cancel student, visit or work visas for foreign nationals when their behavior is “not conducive to the public interest” or they are deemed to pose a threat to national security.
Matar is considered one of the most vocal journalists opposed to the Egyptian army’s coup against elected President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013. The Egyptian authorities accuse him of joining the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Egyptian government classifies as a terrorist organization. Judicial rulings were issued against him after he managed to flee to Turkey years ago.
It is noteworthy that the Council of State, the highest administrative judicial body in France, also gave its approval to expelling Palestinian activist Maryam Abu Daqqa, on Saturday, over posts on “Facebook” in which she supports the Palestinian resistance and for being a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
