Egypt bars Islamist leader from entering country
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian immigration officials prevented the leader of the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and four others from entering the country on Thursday, conference organisers said.
The five were due to attend a conference in Egypt on Iraq and the Palestinian territories. The group included Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdul Majid Thunaibat, as well as delegates from Turkey and Iran.
"There is supposed to be right to freedom of thought and speech in the Egyptian constitution. This is against Egyptian law," a conference organiser, Ali Abd Al-Fatah said.
Egyptian authorities did not say why the five were barred.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist group with branches in a number of Arab states. In Jordan the group has a political arm which is active in parliament. Egypt's branch is officially banned but usually tolerated.
In February British member of parliament George Galloway was delayed for 15 hours at Cairo airport on his way to a mock trial of Western leaders for their policies in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
The five were due to attend a conference in Egypt on Iraq and the Palestinian territories. The group included Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdul Majid Thunaibat, as well as delegates from Turkey and Iran.
"There is supposed to be right to freedom of thought and speech in the Egyptian constitution. This is against Egyptian law," a conference organiser, Ali Abd Al-Fatah said.
Egyptian authorities did not say why the five were barred.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist group with branches in a number of Arab states. In Jordan the group has a political arm which is active in parliament. Egypt's branch is officially banned but usually tolerated.
In February British member of parliament George Galloway was delayed for 15 hours at Cairo airport on his way to a mock trial of Western leaders for their policies in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
posted by Marko at 3/24/2006 07:45:00 AM
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