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Report: Israeli nabbed in Egypt asks for 'political asylum'

Cairo paper says Israeli-Arab detained after infiltrating Taba crossing; man says he's 'persecuted by Israeli government.' He previously spent six months in Lebanese jail

Egypt's al-Ahram weekly reported Saturday that an Israeli-Arab man was detained by authorities over the weekend after he illegally infiltrated the border.

 

Sinai security sources said that the man, Ahmad Daif, who was detained near the Taba crossing, had no form of identification on his person.

 

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According to the report, Daif said he was a resident of Tel Aviv and that he wanted to apply for "political asylum" in Egypt because he felt "persecuted by the Israeli government."

 

He further told investigators that he fled to Egypt because "he felt safe there."

  

Previously arrested in Lebanon

Daif, 32, was previously arrested by the authorities in Lebanon in September 2011 after drifting into the country's waters while diving. He was returned to Israel last March, after spending six months in Lebanese prison.

 

"He's been at home the whole time since he got back," Daif's brother, Khaled Daif, said. "About a week ago he told us he found a job at a Tel Aviv restaurant."

 

The family hasn't been in touch with Daif after he left last week, and learned he was arrested in Egypt from the news.

 

"We don't understand why he is behaving this way," the brother said. "He isn’t in want of anything."

 

Another relative said that the family couldn't believe Daif had the nerve to "repeat the same mistake he made last year."

 

The Egyptian prosecution has reportedly remanded the man for four days, pending further investigation.

 

Two weeks ago, Cairo authorities arrested 24-year-old Israeli national Andre Pshenichnikov on suspicion of espionage. Pshenichnikov has been remanded for 15 days.

 

 

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פרסום ראשון: 01.12.13, 15:16
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