London - The case against a British man jailed in Egypt for "patting a security guard" has been dismissed and he has been freed following a media campaign by legal and human rights organisation Detained in Dubai.
"British citizen Tony Camoccio has been released from Egyptian custody following an international outcry over his arrest," Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling said in a statement on Saturday.
"We are very happy to report that ... Camoccio has been released from Egyptian custody after paying approximately £1000 (about R19 000) bail and related fees. The case has been dismissed for lack of evidence, and Tony will be flying home to the UK on the next available flight from Cairo,” she said.
“I’m very excited to be heading home and can’t wait to see all of my family and rest after the past week’s events,” Camoccio said in the statement.
“I’m very thankful to everyone for their support, my friends and family, my lawyer Elezab Ali Elezab, John Kenny from the [British] Consulate, and Radha Stirling, who have done their best to get me home,” he said.
Stirling said that while the charges were clearly without merit, it should be emphasised that had British authorities and the international press not paid attention to this case, there "is no reason to believe that Tony would be a free man today".
Detained in Dubai had found that the greatest instrument it had was public support and the commitment of the media to accurately report instances of legal abuse.
“We have been in constant communication with Tony’s family throughout this ordeal; they have been dreading the likelihood that this case would drag on for months, possibly proceeding all the way through an appeals process, as the lower courts in Egypt often rush to judgment to forward the matter on to the Court of Cassation.
"They are absolutely thrilled that the campaign for Tony has reached such a rapid and happy conclusion and can’t wait to welcome him home,” Stirling said.