Cairo International Airport security authorities prevented a priest from traveling Wednesday despite a March court ruling that lifted the travel ban against him.
Security detained the priest, Philopateer Gamil Aziz of Virgin Church in Faisal, and handed him over to military intelligence officers at the airport, acting on an earlier travel ban, security sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Aziz later said he managed to obtain a document from the military prosecution stating that his name had been lifted from the travel ban list.
"I was surprised to be banned from traveling at Cairo airport. I was heading to the US to visit my brother, and the officials told me my name was on the list of people banned from travel," the priest said.
Aziz said he told airport authorities that the investigating judge had decided to lift his name from the list, but that he still had to go to the military prosecution to obtain the document to prove what he said.
"They apologized to me, and I will travel to the US on Thursday," Aziz said.
Some Coptic movements issued statements condemning the ban and threatening to stage protests, but Coptic priest Father Matthias Nasr said the affair was just a mistake.
On 9 February, investigating judges banned Aziz and 28 other suspects from travel pending investigations over their alleged involvement in the Maspero protests last October.
Aziz successfully appealed the decision and the Cairo Criminal Court lifted his travel ban on 21 March.
Fighting erupted at a protest at the Maspero state TV building in Cairo on 9 October that left 27 people, mostly Coptic protesters, dead. Some protesters died after being run over by military vehicles. The events prompted outcry from human rights groups and activists.
The suspects face charges of incitement and participation in crimes that took place at Maspero. The suspects allegedly stole weapons from the armed forces and attempted to break into the state TV building. Some public and private properties were also damaged in the violence, according to the charges.
Nasr and lawyer Gamil Michael were also banned from travel in the same investigation.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
