Airport ordeal for activist
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 2nd February 2007
A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Bahraini activist told of his ordeal at an Egyptian airport where he was detained for 14 hours without food and drink before being sent back home.
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights president Mohammed Al Maskati, who had planned to join his mother for a holiday in Egypt, said he was never clearly told the reason he was denied entry at the Cairo International Airport.
“They gave me three different explanations at different times during the 14 hours I was held,” he said.
“First they told me that my name was similar to someone else who they are not allowing to enter the country.
Airport ordeal for activist
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 2nd February 2007
A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Bahraini activist told of his ordeal at an Egyptian airport where he was detained for 14 hours without food and drink before being sent back home.
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights president Mohammed Al Maskati, who had planned to join his mother for a holiday in Egypt, said he was never clearly told the reason he was denied entry at the Cairo International Airport.
“They gave me three different explanations at different times during the 14 hours I was held,” he said.
“First they told me that my name was similar to someone else who they are not allowing to enter the country.
“Then they said that I was in the Bahrain military travelling without permission from the Bahrain government. They didn’t believe me when I said I was a student.
“Finally just before I boarded the plane back, one of the policemen told me that I was on a blacklist.”
Mr Al Maskati arrived in Cairo at around 1am and was allowed to leave after 3pm the next day.
“During that time I was not given any food or drink, not even water. I was allowed to use the restroom a couple of times and that’s it. At first there were a few other Bahrainis with me but they were eventually cleared.”
Mr Al Maskati said the refusal of entry may have been linked to his political activities in Bahrain but he could not be certain.
He did receive a call from Bahraini Ambassador to Egypt Khalil Al Thawadi and a visit from another embassy official.
“Although they treated me well, they couldn’t do anything for me.”
Mr Al Maskati, a Bahrain University student, was too young to have been included in a political blacklist that was sent to other governments during the 1990s. But Al Haq Movement of Liberties and Democracy media and international relations director Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace said this denial of entry echoed similar incidents that other opposition figures faced, even after the 2001 reforms.
He claims this proves the blacklist is dynamic and names on it have been updated. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate denied that it was involved in the matter.
© Gulf Daily News