The Labour MP Apsana Begum has been cleared by a jury over claims of housing fraud, in a prosecution brought by Tower Hamlets council, which claimed she had withheld information about her circumstances to obtain social housing. The Poplar and Limehouse MP, who was first elected in 2019 with a 28,904 majority, was acquitted on three counts of housing fraud between 2013 and 2016 at Snaresbrook crown court in east London on Friday after a week-long trial. The council accused Begum of costing it almost £64,000 by not notifying it she was no longer living in overcrowded housing, as was the case when she first sought social housing, because she had moved in with her partner, Ehtashamul Haque. But Begum said she had notified the council for council tax purposes, that she was in a difficult personal period due to family reasons, and that the “controlling and coercive” Haque had taken over her affairs. In a statement after her acquittal, Begum said the case had caused her great distress. She said: “I would like to say a sincere thank you to all my legal team and all those who have shown me solidarity, support and kindness. “As a survivor of domestic abuse facing these vexatious charges, the last 18 months of false accusations, online sexist, racist, and Islamophobic abuse, and threats to my safety, have been exceedingly difficult.” She added: “I will be consulting and considering how to follow up so that something like this doesn’t happen again to anyone else.” Labour MPs swiftly rallied to Begum’s defence, saying she had endured heightened criticism during the court battle due to her sex and religion. Imran Hussain, the shadow employment rights minister, said she faced “sexist, racist and Islamophobic abuse” as she fought to clear her name. Grahame Morris, the MP for Easington, said she had been the “victim of a malicious, politically motivated prosecution that has sadly generated much online abuse against her causing much needless distress and discomfort”. The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted his congratulations, writing: “Always knew you to be a woman of amazing strength and fortitude and yet again that has been proven.” The former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he had been proud to give personal testimony in support of Begum in court – and did it “because in my opinion this young woman has displayed an integrity, sincerity and dedication to upholding what is right, all the time I have known her”. He called her an “excellent MP and a superb socialist”, echoing praise from the former shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon, who said he was “very pleased for my friend and comrade Apsana”. “Throughout all of this, and everything said about her, she has never stopped working for her community and for what is right and standing up for her principles,” Burgon added. Others also sent messages of solidarity, including the former deputy leadership contender Dawn Butler. She said that as a domestic abuse survivor she should be truly admired and that to have had that exposed in public “compounds that abuse”. She urged Begum to “take time out to rest and recuperate”. Sarah Champion, the chair of the Commons select committee on international development, said Begum could hold her head high, and added: “I’m so deeply sorry for what you have had to endure.” Questions were raised over the decision to launch legal action against Begum. Jon Trickett, another former frontbencher, said there were “serious questions about this flawed prosecution” that needed answering in light of Begum being cleared of wrongdoing. Nazir Afzal, a former regional chief prosecutor, also said Begum had confided in both him and the council that she was the victim of domestic and “honour”-based abuse, but that the local authority’s decision to proceed with the case had been proven to be “a waste of public money”. A Tower Hamlets spokesperson said: “We have a duty to investigate any allegations of housing fraud in order to ensure public money is spent correctly and that those waiting on our housing register are treated fairly. After reviewing the evidence with the benefit of independent legal advice, it was found to be strong enough to bring the matter to court where it was agreed there was a case to answer. “We fully accept the verdict, that justice has run its course and that the matter is now closed.”