Prominent Egyptian rights lawyer Malek Adly barred from travel
Prominent human rights lawyer previously detained for over 100 days without charge now banned from travel while attempting to fly to France.
2 min read
Malek Adly was prevented from flying from Cairo International Airport on Wednesday [AFP]
Egyptian human rights lawyer Malek Adly has said that he was barred from travel when he attempted to board a flight to France from Cairo Airport on Wednesday.
Adly, who works with the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social rights, told Reuters that airport security officials prevented him from travelling without showing a written order.
"They told me I was banned from travel and gave me no reason. First they said there was an arrest warrant and I explained that it had already been carried out and I was released," he said.
"Then they said an investigating magistrate had ordered the ban due to my involvement in a case, but there is no case. Whatever it is, it is political," Adly said.
He is one of several lawyers who are attempting to block the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia by suing Egypt's government.
In April this year, Adly appeared on Egyptian television to criticise the decision to cede control of the two Islands. He was subsequently detained in solitary confinement for over 100 days without charge.
Since the overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president in 2013, human rights activists in the country say they are under increasing pressure.
"Since the armed forces ousted President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the authorities have arbitrarily banned at least 12 other directors, founders, and staff members of Egyptian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from traveling abroad," Human Rights Watch said in a statement in response to Adly's travel ban.
"Others who have been prevented from traveling outside the country include dozens of members of political parties, youth activists, bloggers, journalists, and academics".
Adly, who works with the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social rights, told Reuters that airport security officials prevented him from travelling without showing a written order.
"They told me I was banned from travel and gave me no reason. First they said there was an arrest warrant and I explained that it had already been carried out and I was released," he said.
"Then they said an investigating magistrate had ordered the ban due to my involvement in a case, but there is no case. Whatever it is, it is political," Adly said.
He is one of several lawyers who are attempting to block the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia by suing Egypt's government.
In April this year, Adly appeared on Egyptian television to criticise the decision to cede control of the two Islands. He was subsequently detained in solitary confinement for over 100 days without charge.
Since the overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president in 2013, human rights activists in the country say they are under increasing pressure.
"Since the armed forces ousted President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the authorities have arbitrarily banned at least 12 other directors, founders, and staff members of Egyptian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from traveling abroad," Human Rights Watch said in a statement in response to Adly's travel ban.
"Others who have been prevented from traveling outside the country include dozens of members of political parties, youth activists, bloggers, journalists, and academics".
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