‘Whereabouts of Egypt’s ex-premier unknown’ after reported deportation by UAE
The family of former Egyptian prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, whose movement was earlier restricted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and who was later allegedly deported by Abu Dhabi, has decided to take legal action as they say his whereabouts are unknown.
Earlier, Shafiq had said he was being prevented from leaving the UAE for his home country to run in the upcoming presidential elections, challenging incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is allied to the Emirates.
Later, the UAE announced that Shafiq had been deported from the country.
While some reports said Shafiq had arrived in Egypt late on Saturday and unofficial sources reported seeing him in Cairo, his family said it had no knowledge of where Shafiq was.
“We know nothing about him since he left home yesterday,” Shafiq's daughter, May, told Reuters. “His lawyer hasn’t been able to reach him. If he was deported, he should have been able to go home by now.”
UAE authorities confirmed his departure from the UAE, but Egyptian authorities have not confirmed his arrival.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has said it is not responsible for the case.
Shafiq’s family and lawyer said they planned to file complaints.
Shafiq, who narrowly lost a 2012 presidential election, had announced on Wednesday his intention to run in Egypt’s upcoming presidential election.
Shafiq is regarded as the strongest potential opponent of President Sisi, who is widely expected to run for a second term in the presidential election next year.
Sisi’s critics say under his presidency, thousands of opposition forces have been jailed, the government has shut down independent media and heavily restricted the conducting of polls in what rights groups call an unprecedented crackdown.
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