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Turkish authorities on Monday arrested Mohamed Abdelhafiz, an Egyptian citizen accused of being a member of the Hasm movement and implicated in terrorist activities in Egypt, according to media reports.
The arrest in Istanbul came shortly after Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced that the group had been plotting sabotage operations inside the country.
Abdelhafiz is an opponent of the Egyptian authorities. On July 3, 2013, he opposed the coup led by Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in his home country, Egypt.
Facing unlawful prosecutions and the risk of torture due to his writings and statements, he sought refuge in Türkiye with his family.
Al Arabiya reported that Mohamed Abdelhafiz was detained at Istanbul Airport after returning from a business trip to an African country.
His name was mentioned in the Egyptian Interior Ministry’s statement as part of a cell accused of planning what the statement described as “sabotage operations.”
According to his wife, who posted on social media, communication with him was abruptly cut off.
She later learned that he had been denied entry to Türkiye and was set to be deported, despite holding a valid residency permit.
The arrest came just hours after Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced that senior members of the Hasm movement—considered the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and reportedly based in Türkiye—were plotting to revive the group’s activities and carry out attacks on security and economic targets.
The ministry said that, in coordination with other security bodies, the National Security Sector had identified those behind the plan.
Egyptian sources told Al Arabiya that security talks are underway with Türkiye over the handover of Muslim Brotherhood members convicted of involvement in terrorist activities.
Cairo has reportedly submitted a security dossier to Ankara containing a list of wanted individuals and recordings allegedly showing them inciting against Egypt from Turkish territory.
According to Al Arabiya, Türkiye has informed Egypt that it plans to expel additional Brotherhood figures as part of ongoing understandings between the two countries.
The arrest of Abdelhafiz has raised concerns over his possible extradition—a move that could result in his execution by Egyptian authorities.
According to Yeni Safak, numerous civil society organizations in Türkiye and abroad have renewed their calls on the Turkish government to halt Abdalla’s extradition to Egypt, stating that “Turkish and international law must not allow this deportation under any circumstances.”
They also pointed to a previous case involving Mohamed Hussein, who was similarly detained and deported.
Upon his return to Egypt, he was reportedly subjected to severe torture and has not been heard from since.
The family of the detained opposition figure—currently being held at Istanbul Airport—has appealed to President Erdogan to halt his deportation to Egypt.
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