FILE- Former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Mohamed Mahsoob- Egypt Today/ Sami Wahib
CAIRO – 2 August 2018: Few hours after being arrested by the Italian authorities on Wednesday upon a request from the Egyptian Interop, Mohamed Mahsoob, former Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs during the time of the Muslim Brotherhood’s leadership, was released, said Italian news website Lettera 43 on Thursday.
Upon a request from the Interpol Egypt, the Italian authorities arrested Mahsoob in the city of Catania, located in Southern Italy, upon his arrival at Catania’s Airport, from France, where he resides, according to BBC Italy and Al-Dostour.
The reasons behind Mahsoub's release were not announced yet. After being released, Mahsoob said on his official Twitter account that he was released.
Few hours after his arrest, some Egyptian officials and lawmakers called for Mahsoob's extradition to be tried in Egypt over charges of "incitement of violence."
"Mahsoob could be extradited to Egypt, according to an official from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs who told Egypt Today on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media, on Thursday.
Alongside his arrest, the Egyptian authorities requested his extradition with criminal sentences. Mahsoob is blacklisted by the Egyptian authorities and was previously sentenced to three years of prison for contempt of court.
The anonymous source said that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) will present the case to an Italian judge who will consider the verdicts issued against Mahsoob and the nature of the cases he is accused of by the Egyptian judiciary.
The source also said that the extradition could take a long time due to the measures being taken at Interpol to study the sentences against all those who are wanted for extradition. The source assured that Interpol’s international rules require that accused fugitives be sent back to their countries.
Mostafa Bakry, a member of the House of Representatives, called on the Italian authorities to take the necessary legal measures to extradite the fugitive, Mahsoob, quickly.
Bakry pointed out that Mahsoob is one of those wanted for the incitement of terrorism in Egypt and other foreign countries.
He has already been sentenced several times, most notably with the charge of incitement to violence and the custody of his funds in case No. 28 in 2013.
Mahsoob tweeted on Aug. 1 saying: “The Italian police held me for three hours near the city of Catania at the request of Egyptian Authorities. They refused to disclose the charges against me.”
Mahsoob escaped from Egypt in 2013 although he was charged with several criminal verdicts by Egyptian courts due to legal and criminal offenses.
Regardless of the charges against Mahsoub, TV Presenter Osama Gawish tweeted saying, “Italian police detained him in order to hand him over to the Egyptian police under Convention on Extradition Act,” and that “his extradition to Egypt puts his life at risk.”
The Egyptian Syndicate of Lawyers withdrew Mahsoub’s membership in July 2018 because he had travelled abroad, did not practice the profession and did not pay membership fees.
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