Egypt bars British NGO worker from leaving
2012-02-10 22:11
Cairo - A British woman working for one of several domestic and foreign NGOs under investigation in Egypt was barred from leaving the country on Friday, an airport source told AFP.
The woman, who works for the US National Democratic Institute (NDI), had been due to fly to London, but at Cairo airport she found herself on a list of people prohibited from leaving Egypt.
Judicial sources said on Sunday that Egypt would put 44 people on trial, including 19 Americans and other nationalities, over the alleged illegal funding of NGOs promoting Egypt's fledgling democracy.
In December, Cairo prosecutors stormed 17 offices of local and international NGOs, including two of NDI's, confiscating computers and documents as part of a probe into the allegations.
Tensions between Cairo and Washington, which provides Egypt with $1.3bn a year in aid, have escalated in the wake of the affair.
It was not immediately clear whether the British woman barred from travelling on Friday was one of those due to face trial.
Other groups being investigated include the US International Republican Institute (IRI), Freedom House and the German Konrad-Adenauer Foundation.