An American-Egyptian citizen who was recently arrested while visiting the UAE faces possible extradition to Egyptian authorities after he criticized Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and called on Egyptians to protest in videos he shot during his stay in the United Arab Emirates. United States, according to the newspaper.Wall Street Journal“.
The newspaper quoted an Emirati official as saying that Sharif Othman, 46, was arrested on the 6th of last month at the request of one of the Arab League countries, adding that his country is working to obtain the legal documents required for put an end to the extradition process.
The newspaper, quoting a person familiar with the case, indicated that the extradition request was issued by Egypt, also confirmed by Othman’s girlfriend Saija Verta, who indicated that the US embassy, UAE authorities and her fiance all told her the same information.
An Egyptian government spokesman did not respond to the paper’s requests for comment.
The paper also quoted a spokesman for the US embassy in the UAE as saying his country was aware of Othman’s arrest, adding that consulate officials spoke with him on the 10th of last month.
The newspaper revealed that Othman was visiting Dubai to arrange a meeting between his fiancée, his sister and his mother, who were due to depart from Egypt earlier but were flown back to Cairo airport without giving any explanation.
Osman and Saiga announced their engagement last May in Texas, where Osman earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting in 2019. They live in Massachusetts, where he runs a small business to legally grow marijuana.
According to the newspaper, Othman was arrested as he stood on a street near a restaurant in Dubai, two days after his arrival.
His fiancée, who was with him at the time, said two men in civilian clothes spoke to him before asking him to get into an unmarked car.
She also confirmed that Othman told her he was not mistreated in detention, but that he had not been able to speak to a lawyer for a long time.
American arrested in Dubai at risk of deportation to Egypt
Sheriff Osman criticized Egypt’s ruling elite coming from the United States and called for protests at COP27, where President Biden met with Egypt’s autocratic leader. https://t.co/rQg1OXzIqb– Wael Hafez (@wael_hafez) December 1, 2022
The newspaper quoted the UAE official as saying his country is committed to meeting international standards, including access to consular services and legal advice.
In a video he posted on his YouTube channel on October 18, Othman called on Egyptians to take to the streets, and in recent weeks he has also released a dozen video clips criticizing the Egyptian government.
Othman was born in Egypt, but fled the country following the 2011 uprising that overthrew the government of former President Hosni Mubarak.
Human rights defenders estimate that the government of current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has arrested tens of thousands of people for political reasons.
