British teenager accused of spying released from 'hellhole' Egyptian prison

A British teenager detained in Egypt for reportedly taking a photo of a military aircraft has been released after a horrific three week spell in detention.

Mohammed Abul-Kasem, aged-19 and from Manchester, was accused of "collecting information of a military facility" after taking the snap at Alexandria airport. He was detained on 21 November on suspicion of spying, his family said.

On Saturday, Abul-Kasem confirmed he had been freed in a message posted on YouTube, saying: "I am sure you would have heard about me through media outlets of my detention in an Egyptian hellhole," he said.

"I am not ready to talk right now but I feel I owe you a duty now I am out."

He said he was "ready to give up mentally and physically" but thanked his supporters including the Human Relief Foundation charity, who helped his family secure his release.

The UK Foreign Office also confirmed he had been freed.

Abul-Kasem, travelling on a UK passport, was visiting friends in Egypt when he was arrested. He is now back with his family in Libya where he has lived for two years to support his sick grandmother.

Abul-Kasem's arrest came on the heels of a row between the UK and UAE over a life sentence handed out to British academic Matthew Hedges last week in the UAE. He was convicted of "spying for a foreign country".

Hedges was pardoned and allowed to return to his family on Tuesday following strong diplomatic pressure from London.