Egyptian authorities claimed man removed from Sudanese flight is a terrorist

The Interior Ministry in Cairo has claimed that an Egyptian man removed from a Sudanese flight after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Luxor is “terrorist”, Shadooff news website reported on Sunday.

In a brief statement, the ministry said that Hussam Manoufi Mahmoud Sallam, who was detained in Luxor last Wednesday, had been prosecuted in absentia over his “involvement in several terrorist acts.” Sallam, the ministry noted, is scheduled to be retried after being investigated in relation to the allegations against him.

The Egyptian engineer left Egypt for Sudan en route to Turkey after his criticism of the 2013 military coup from which the current regime in Cairo claims its legitimacy. He was booked on a flight operated by Sudan’s Badr Airline.

Having been detained briefly at Khartoum Airport, he was allowed to board the flight to Turkey. However, this was diverted to Luxor and made an unscheduled stop. As the passengers left the aircraft, Egyptian security officials checked their passports and detained Sallam.

The government in Ankara has lodged a complaint with the Egyptian authorities that a passenger holding a valid Turkish visa was removed from a flight heading to Turkey. Egyptian human rights groups have also condemned Salaam’s detention, as he faces a death sentence. They called on the authorities to reveal the whereabouts of the father of two.

Source: Middle East Monitor