SA man jailed in Egypt ‘needs surgery’

Sheikh Abdel Bassiouni is ill in an Egyptian jail and requires medical treatment.

Sheikh Abdel Bassiouni is ill in an Egyptian jail and requires medical treatment.

Published Jul 28, 2015

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Johannesburg -

A medical report of a South African man detained in an Egyptian prison for the past eight months has suggested he is in desperate need of surgery, with his family continuing their fight to have him released.

Sheikh Abdel Bassiouni was detained in early December after flying into Egypt for his daughter’s engagement celebrations.

He and his son Bilaal were interrogated for hours about an alleged connection to the banned Islamic organisation, the Muslim Brotherhood, despite the family claiming there was no such link.

Even though Bilaal was released the next day, his father remains in prison, with limited - and occasionally totally restricted - access to legal representation, medical treatment or his relatives.

Eight months later, he has yet to be charged with any crime.

And while the family and their lawyers have tried to get the Department of International Relations and Co-operation to push for Bassiouni’s release, they claim not enough has been done to help them.

On Monday, Bilaal sent the medical report to The Star, saying it had emerged that his father, while in prison, had finally had X-rays taken of his back.

The X-rays were handed to one of Bassiouni’s relatives, who took them to a specialist in Cairo.

According to the specialist’s report, the 62-year-old is suffering from spondylolisthesis, a displacement in three of his spinal vertebrae. “He needs urgent surgery,” the report reads.

But the family have been unable to confirm with the Egyptian authorities whether Bassiouni would receive the operation, nor have they been forthcoming with information on his release or if any charges were to be laid against him.

For the family, the recent passing of Eid ul-Fitr was another reminder of the patriarch’s long absence. “As a family, we are shattered,” Bilaal said.

The Department of International Relations was approached on Monday for comment on negotiations with the Egyptian government, but there was no response.

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The Star

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