David D. Kirkpatrick, 48, New York Times reports was held incommunicado for hours at Cairo international airport on Monday night upon his arrival. Egyptian authorities did not provide explanation for Kirkpatrick’s expulsion but the US-based media notes its former staff is author of a book on Egypt, “Into the Hands of the Soldiers.” The piece reportedly irked Egyptian authorities. Egyptian authorities also last month pressed one year in prison against a TV anchor for having interviewed a gay man. In March last year, Egyptian officials expelled Bel Trew, a journalist with the Times of London, and made her board a flight to London, New York Times reports. “We’re concerned about reports of the unexplained refusal of entry to Egypt of a US citizen and New York Times journalist.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 20, 2019 12:11 UTC