A 22-year-old Egyptian student named Usama Ghanem who was suspended from King's College London (KCL) last year for his pro-Palestine activism is returning to campus after the university lifted his suspension. According to KCL, Ghanem had engaged in several instances of non-academic misconduct, including intimidating and hostile behavior. The university denies disciplining students for activism, but claims that it was Ghanem's behavior that breached safeguarding and security regulations. At least 26 students at KCL have faced disciplinary investigations over pro-Palestine protest activity between October 2023 and November 2025.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Usama Ghanem, a 22-year-old Egyptian student, has been allowed to return to King's College London (KCL) after being suspended for his pro-Palestine campus activism. The suspension, which was implemented in May 2025, accused Ghanem of several instances of non-academic misconduct, including acting in an intimidating and hostile manner and disrupting an event. However, KCL has now lifted the suspension, enabling Ghanem to complete his third and final year of his international studies degree. Ghanem's visa was revoked due to the disciplinary action, but he claimed that returning to Egypt would put him at risk of persecution. It appears that the university used a private firm called Horus, run by former military intelligence officials, to monitor protest activity, including demonstrations in support of Ghanem. The case has sparked concerns about academic freedom and the use of private companies to monitor student activism.
Written for “Student Protest Controversy Lingers” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but all 1 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
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Leaning score withheld for article 7963: attributed speech only · logged 2026-09-11
A 22-year-old Egyptian student suspended from King’s College London (KCL) last year after his involvement in pro-Palestine campus activism is returning to university.
asserted
student → suspend → university
KCL lifted Usama Ghanem’s suspension late last month, allowing him to return and complete the third and final year of his international studies degree.
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him → lift → degree
“We won,” Ghanem said.
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Ghanem → win → ?
“I was suspended because of my activism for Palestine …
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I → suspend → Palestine
The injustices and the process that I’ve gone through have felt extremely bitter, but it also needed to be fought.”
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it → go → that
According to a May 2025 letter addressed to Ghanem and seen by Al Jazeera, KCL accused him of several instances of non-academic misconduct, including “acting in an intimidating and hostile manner”, disrupting an event, “procedural breaches” and “causing a health and safety concern”.
uncertain
KCL → accord → concern
The letter signed by university staff also stated: “You will need to return to your home country during this period of suspension.”
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You → sign → suspension
Ghanem’s visa was revoked as a result of the disciplinary action.
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visa → revoke → action
But as he had previously been detained in Egypt over his activism, he had claimed that he risked persecution if he returned.
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he → detain → persecution
After taking legal action against the university and accepting delays to his studies, Ghanem told Al Jazeera: “I’m left with nothing but conviction, and the only regret I’ll ever have is that I didn’t do more for the Palestinian people.”
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I → take → people
The campaign group Cage said, “This is a victory not just for Ghanem, but for every student at King’s, across London and beyond who has taken a stand for Palestine and for the right to protest.”
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who → say → right
In July, Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates reported that at least 26 students at KCL had faced disciplinary investigations after engaging in pro-Palestine protest activity between October 2023 and November 2025.
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students → report → October
Since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began, several universities across the UK have faced criticism over their handling of Palestine solidarity protests on campus.
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universities → begin → campus
Earlier this year, the European Legal Support Center documented what it described as widespread repression of students, academics and teachers over their solidarity with Palestine, identifying educational institutions among those leading the crackdown.
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it → document → crackdown
KCL denies disciplining students for activism.
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KCL → deny → activism
A university spokesperson told Al Jazeera that KCL had “upheld the original reasons” for Ghanem’s suspension but had determined that he “had met the conditions agreed for suspension and that re-enrolment was therefore the appropriate outcome”.
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enrolment → tell → suspension
“We will always apply a fair approach to misconduct proceedings, and have a duty to act where behaviour breaches safeguarding and security regulations, or puts others at risk,” the spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → apply → risk
They added that decisions on visa sponsorship are not made by KCL, but that the university “has a legal duty to notify (UK Visas & Immigration) of any change in student status”.
‘King’s overreached’
Al Jazeera has also seen evidence indicating that KCL used Horus, a private firm run by former military intelligence officials, to monitor protest activity.
In Ghanem’s case, the company appeared to have informed the university of upcoming demonstrations in support of the “expelled student”.
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company → add → student
“They have specifically been engaged in surveilling me,” Ghanem said.
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Ghanem → engage → me
“I think it’s crystal clear that King’s overreached.”
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King → think → ?
KCL denied monitoring Ghanem, saying “all information collated by Horus is already publicly available elsewhere.
“We use Horus as a horizon scanning tool for updates on events on or near our campuses, including protests on any subject,” the university said.
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university → deny → subject
Hundreds of students and several academics supported Ghanem throughout his dispute with KCL, including the Association of Student Activism for Palestine (ASAP).
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Hundreds → support → Palestine
“KCL’s decision to reinstate Usama shows what happens when students and the wider community stand strong against the intimidation tactics of our universities,” ASAP told Al Jazeera.
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ASAP → reinstate → Jazeera
“This victory has shown us the power that students and the wider movement holds when we stand on the side of justice unwaveringly.”
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we → show → justice
