An Ontario woman is pleading with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call Egypt and demand the release of her Canadian father, who was thrown into a Cairo prison without any apparent explanation.
Amal Ahmed Albaz tells CTV News Channel that her father, Yasser Ahmed Albaz, was about to board a plane on his way back to Canada last Monday when he sent his family a message saying that he had been 鈥渇lagged.鈥� He later sent another message telling his family that he loves them, and then contact stopped.
鈥淵esterday my father was taken to the state security prosecutor鈥檚 office for questioning and we don鈥檛 know what this questioning is about,鈥� Albaz told CTV News on Sunday.
鈥淥ur family lawyer was informed and he was present for that. The Canadian embassy was also informed,鈥� she said.
鈥淎fter that, he was transported to Tora prison which is the worst prison in all of Egypt,鈥� Albaz added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very, very concerned over my father鈥檚 safety.鈥�
Human Rights Watch has described Tora as 鈥渢he central site for those deemed enemies of the state.鈥�
Albaz says that her father has been in Canada for two decades and that he runs an engineering firm in Oakville, Ont. She says she has no idea why he was detained.
鈥淗e has a client in Egypt and that鈥檚 why he was there for that time,鈥� she said.
鈥淢y father has no political affiliations,鈥� Albaz added. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not politically active whatsoever. His business is engineering; it has nothing to do with state security or anything like that.鈥�
Albaz said she hopes the Canadian government will intervene. Minister Freeland鈥檚 office did not respond to a request for comment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like they鈥檙e trying to fish for something but there鈥檚 nothing to fish for,鈥� Albaz added.
鈥淢y biggest concern right now is if this escalates to any fabricated charges, which is very common in Egypt,鈥� she said.
Friends at the Oakville mosque where Albaz sits on the board said that they are praying for him.
Ferras Marish has known Albaz for 15 years and says that he can鈥檛 think of any reason to justify the detention.
鈥淭he only thing I could think of is it鈥檚 just a name match,鈥� Marish said, noting that it鈥檚 common in Middle Eastern countries for many people to share the same names.
Marish said he鈥檚 very concerned.
鈥淲e鈥檙e used to a just system where mistakes can happen but then once it鈥檚 cleared, it鈥檚 cleared,鈥� he said. 鈥淯nfortunately, I don鈥檛 think that will be the case in Egypt.鈥�
