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

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Ghanem’s visa was revoked as a result of the disciplinary action.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.”