Lebanese security agents stormed the apartment of exiled Egyptian activist Abdelrahman Tarek, known to friends as Moka, on May 24, telling the 29-year-old to pack a bag. He was fearful that he would be deported to Egypt and arrested again.
He was released six hours later, but Tarek’s detention triggered fears that Egypt is pressuring regional governments to round up its critics. The incident also raised questions about safety in Lebanon, where dissidents from around the Middle East have long sought refuge from authoritarian regimes and have been able to speak freely.
A critic of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Tarek fled to Lebanon last winter after being arbitrarily imprisoned and tortured in Egypt for seven years for his human rights activism. In September 2020, he was accused of “joining an illegal organisation” and “funding terrorism”.
According to rights groups, the Egyptian regime often accuses human rights activists like Tarek of terrorism links in order to silence dissent.
Once he was taken in for questioning, “Moka asked for a lawyer but was told there’s no need and that they will be finished quickly,” said Farouk Moghrabi, Tarek’s lawyer.
Moghrabi told Al Jazeera that he was not given a warrant or any other paperwork ordering his client’s arrest.
2023-05-28 13:27:31
Article from www.aljazeera.com