Lawyers of Israelis detained in Cairo: "Not held by police, Foreign Ministry did not provide a response"
Lawyers for three Bedouin Israelis from the Negev detained in Egypt for about six months claim the Foreign Ministry has not responded to their requests for consular visits. According to them, the detainees are not held by Egyptian police, and the investigation is security-related, not criminal. The families are living in complete darkness.
Lawyers for three Bedouin Israelis from the Negev detained in Egypt for about six months claim the Foreign Ministry has not responded to their requests for consular visits. Attorney Yitzhak Melzer, representing one of the detainees, said in an interview with Kan News that he contacted the Foreign Minister's office by direct email on July 30, asking what was being done to realize their right to a consular visit under the Vienna Convention, but received only a terse response. According to him, the detainees are not held by Egyptian police, and the investigation is security-related, not criminal. Attorney Mutlak Badran, representing another detainee, clarified that the three are not part of the security establishment but have relatives serving the state. He alleged discrimination compared to handling of similar cases in the past. Family members said the three left for a vacation in Egypt in March and were arrested at the Taba crossing on their way back to Israel. Since then, contact with them has been completely cut off. A relative reported that the lawyer checked and they are not held in police custody, a known prison, a hospital, or any official place, and there is no mention of the arrest in Egyptian media. The Foreign Ministry stated it is aware of the issue and handling it, but no official response has been received from the Egyptian side.