Egypt bans high-profile political activist Hisham Kassem from travelling ‘without probable cause’

Egyptian airport authorities banned high-profile political activist Hisham Kassem from travelling last week as he was leaving the country on his way to Bosnia to join an international convention.

Kassem was expected to deliver a speech on the first day of the conference entitled "Democratic Era in the Arab World: Roadmap to Democracy," held from 19 to 20 October, in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, when he was stopped "without probable cause," given back his luggage and asked to return home.

"No verdicts or any legal restrictions are banning me from travelling… The measure may have been [reportedly] requested by the state security police or the general intelligence agency based on fabricated investigations or a new fake case against me," Kassem claimed in a post on his Facebook page, attaching a screenshot of the official cancellation stamp on his passport.

Earlier in February this year, the former publisher of Egypt's once-leading independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and other publications was released from prison after serving a six-month sentence over slandering ex-labour minister Kamal Abu-Eita and verbally insulting the police officer who arrested him, charges he denied.

The internationally award-winning defender of free press has been an outspoken critic of the regime of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi over the years, marking his reign.  

Kassem has also been the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al-Tayar Al-Hur (The Free Current), an independent political coalition of several former politicians, political activists and intellectuals formed in June 2023 in opposition to Sisi's government.

"My stance remains clearly the same - Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is the worst president that has ever ruled Egypt, leading to the current deterioration and economic collapse the country has been witnessing. The continuation of a military rule, whether under [Sisi] or any other army officer who may succeed him, will lead to further failures," Kassem posted on his Facebook page.   

The New Arab could not reach Kassem for comment at the time of publication. 

Egypt's human rights record is regularly condemned by local and international groups, estimating that about 60,000 political prisoners are currently behind in the country, many facing abuse, torture, and medical neglect.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Egypt 170th out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index.

Over the past decade, Sisi has often blamed the economic crisis on the 25 January Revolution.  Experts, however, argue that the main cause of the country's current ordeal has been investing in "white elephant" projects including the New Administrative Capital, which cost taxpayers about $US 60 billion.

Egypt's external debt soared by 5.1 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2022, reaching US$162.94 billion, a total of US$10 billion more than the previous quarter.