Egypt set to question 'Brotherhood cell' deported from Kuwait

The men were previously sentenced in Egypt but will face retrial as they fled before their cases were concluded

A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt July 2, 2019. Reuters

Egyptian authorities are set to begin questioning eight men deported from Kuwait this week accused of being part of a Muslim Brotherhood cell.

Kuwait arrested the men over the weekend and deported them to Egypt on Monday. The state-run Kuwait News Agency, KUNA, reported that the men had previously been sentenced to prison time in Egypt for carrying out terrorist attacks. It added that the men were running a charity to raise funds for the group, outlawed in Egypt as a terrorist organization but not illegal in Kuwait, and that authorities are searching for further accomplices.

The men will reportedly stand fresh trial in Egypt having been previously convicted in their absence. Asharq Al Awsat newspaper quoted legal and security sources saying that only three of the defendants are still wanted for questioning while the other five must be retried as they fled the country before their cases could be concluded.

The authorities want to question the men in order to ascertain if there are more people involved in their cases who are still at large.

The former Egyptian interior minister, Maj Gen Farouq Al Megarhi said that the men had fled to Sudan then Turkey before settling in Kuwait.

"These cells seek refuge in places that have underground cells that are associated with the Brotherhood," Maj Gen Al Magarhi said.

He warned Kuwaiti authorities to "take caution" against groups that are linked to the Brotherhood.

Kuwait’s deputy foreign minister, Khaled al-Jarallah, said that the deportations followed “cooperation” with the Egyptian authorities and that “this cooperation will continue.”

Mr Jarallah said that Kuwaiti-Egyptian security coordination was strong.