Prominent sociologist and critic advised not to return to Egypt

Jun 26, 2007, 14:19 GMT

Cairo - A prominent Egyptian-American sociologist and human rights activist, known for his opposition to the government, has been advised not to return to Egypt, the Egyptian independent daily al- Doustour said on Tuesday.

Professor Saad Eddin Ibrahim was Tuesday still out of the country on a trip in Europe and Arab countries. He was not likely to return to Egypt any time soon, the newspaper said.

Senior public figures and decision-makers had advised Ibrahim not to return as 'something big' - believed to refer to a case involving national security - was being planned by the Egyptian government, according to the report.

Al-Dostour noted that President Hosny Mubarak was outraged at Ibrahim, holding him responsible for the United States' decision to freeze 200 million dollars in aid to Egypt.

US Congress, the report said, had reached the decision after Ibrahim met US President George W Bush in Prague ahead of the recent G8 summit in the Baltic coastal resort of Heiligendamm in Germany.

Ibrahim later published an account of his Prague encounter with Bush in in al-Dostour, justifying the act by saying he wanted to be 'transparent.'

The US had earlier approved its annual 200 million dollars for the Egyptian armed forces on condition that Cairo implement judicial reform, retrain its police force and strengthen control over the Gaza border.

Ibrahim, who received a seven-year prison sentence for charges of espionage and corruption in 2000, has been facing fierce criticism in Egypt lately.

Earlier this month, Egyptian lawyer Nabil al-Wahsh filed a lawsuit against him aimed at closing down the Ibn Khaldoun Centre for Development Studies, over which Ibrahim presides. The case centred around allegations that Ibrahim had violated the law and the constitution by seeking help from foreign countries and harmed Egypt's national interests.

Ruling National Democratic Party member Nabil Luca Bibabwi filed a similar case against Ibrahim.

Lawyers for the 69-year-old have argued that the real motive behind the government's alleged persecution of Ibrahim was his staunch criticism of the Mubarak and his government.

Ibrahim was released before completing his prison sentence. Some claim this was because of US political pressure.

Ibrahim is currently a professor emeritus of Sociology at the American University in Cairo, as well as being the founder and chair of the Cairo-Based Ibn Khaldoun Centre for Social and Political Studies.