Pro-Palestine student suspended by King’s College London returns to campus

University lifts suspension amid criticism from student groups over crackdown on pro-Palestine sentiments.

Usama Ghanem, a third-year student at King's College London, has been reinstated after the university suspended him following pro-Palestine protests on campus (Courtesy: @just.barold)

London, United Kingdom – 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.

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.

“We won,” Ghanem said. “I was suspended because of my activism for Palestine … The injustices and the process that I’ve gone through have felt extremely bitter, but it also needed to be fought.”

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”.

The letter signed by university staff also stated: “You will need to return to your home country during this period of suspension.”

Ghanem’s visa was revoked as a result of the disciplinary action. But as he had previously been detained in Egypt over his activism, he had claimed that he risked persecution if he returned.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

KCL denies disciplining students for 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”.

“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.

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”.

“They have specifically been engaged in surveilling me,” Ghanem said. “I think it’s crystal clear that King’s overreached.”

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.

Hundreds of students and several academics supported Ghanem throughout his dispute with KCL, including the Association of Student Activism for Palestine (ASAP).

“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.

“This victory has shown us the power that students and the wider movement holds when we stand on the side of justice unwaveringly.”

在学生团体批评校方镇压亲巴勒斯坦情绪后，大学解除了停学处分。

伦敦国王学院三年级学生乌萨马·加内姆（Usama Ghanem）在因校园内参与支持巴勒斯坦的抗议活动而被学校停学后，现已复学。（图片来源：@just.barold）

英国伦敦——一名22岁的埃及学生去年因参与支持巴勒斯坦的校园活动而被伦敦国王学院（KCL）停学，如今他将重返校园。

上个月底，伦敦国王学院解除了对乌萨马·加内姆的停学处分，允许他返回学校完成国际研究学位的第三年也是最后一年。

“我们赢了，”加内姆说。“我因为支持巴勒斯坦的活动而被停职……我所经历的不公正待遇和过程让我感到无比痛苦，但这也是必须抗争的。”

根据半岛电视台看到的一封 2025 年 5 月写给加内姆的信，伦敦国王学院指控他犯有多项非学术不端行为，包括“以恐吓和敌对的方式行事”、扰乱活动、“违反程序”和“造成健康和安全问题”。

大学工作人员签署的信函中还指出：“在停学期间，您需要返回您的祖国。”

由于受到纪律处分，加内姆的签证被吊销。但他此前曾因参与维权活动在埃及被拘留，因此他声称如果返回埃及，将面临迫害的风险。

在对大学提起诉讼并接受学业延期后，加内姆告诉半岛电视台：“我心中只有信念，我唯一的遗憾就是没有为巴勒斯坦人民做更多的事情。”

维权组织 Cage 表示：“这不仅是加内姆的胜利，也是国王学院、伦敦乃至更远地区所有支持巴勒斯坦和抗议权利的学生的胜利。”

7 月，半岛电视台和自由调查组织报道称，2023 年 10 月至 2025 年 11 月期间，伦敦国王学院至少有 26 名学生因参与支持巴勒斯坦的抗议活动而面临纪律调查。

自以色列对加沙发动种族灭绝战争以来，英国多所大学因处理校园内声援巴勒斯坦的抗议活动而受到批评。

今年早些时候，欧洲法律援助中心记录了其所描述的针对声援巴勒斯坦的学生、学者和教师的大规模镇压，并指出教育机构是带头镇压的对象之一。

伦敦国王学院否认因学生参与激进活动而对其进行纪律处分。

一位大学发言人告诉半岛电视台，伦敦国王学院“维持了最初对加内姆的停学理由”，但认定他“已满足停学条件，因此重新入学是合适的结果”。

发言人表示：“我们将始终秉持公平公正的态度处理不当行为，并有责任对违反保障和安全法规或危及他人安全的行为采取行动。”

他们补充说，签证担保的决定并非由伦敦国王学院做出，但该大学“有法律义务将学生身份的任何变化通知（英国签证与移民局）”。

“国王越权了”

半岛电视台还掌握了证据，表明国王伦敦市政府曾利用由前军事情报官员经营的私人公司 Horus 来监控抗议活动。

就加内姆的案例而言，该公司似乎已将即将举行的声援“被开除学生”的示威活动告知了大学。

“他们一直在专门监视我，”加内姆说。“我认为很明显，金的做法太过分了。”

KCL否认对Ghanem进行监控，称“Horus收集的所有信息在其他地方已经公开可得”。

“我们使用 Horus 作为预警工具，以获取校园内或附近事件的最新信息，包括任何主题的抗议活动，”该大学表示。

在加内姆与伦敦国王学院的争端中，数百名学生和几位学者都支持他，其中包括巴勒斯坦学生行动协会（ASAP）。

“KCL决定恢复乌萨马的职务，这表明当学生和更广泛的社区坚决反对我们大学的恐吓策略时会发生什么，”ASAP告诉半岛电视台。

“这场胜利向我们展示了，当我们坚定不移地站在正义的一边时，学生和更广泛的运动所拥有的力量。”