Egypt To Free Jailed Palestinian BDS Activist

Egypt has ordered the release from jail of Egyptian-Palestinian political activist Ramy Shaath after almost 30 months in detention, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said on Tuesday. Shaath, 50, is the son of former Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath. He was active in the 2011 uprising against the rule of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and co-founded the Egyptian chapter of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Shaath was arrested in 2019 on charges of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, which is considered an illegal terrorist organization in Egypt. Late Monday, Reuters cited judicial and security sources as saying that his release was underway and that he’d be deported to France upon release. His wife, Celine Lebrun, a French citizen, said she would make a statement when his release was confirmed. Human rights organizations say Egypt holds some 60,000 political prisoners, who often face torture and inhumane conditions, a charge that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi denies. The organizations have condemned Shaath’s detention and called on French President Emmanuel Macron to press el-Sisi for his release.