Egypt deported a Swedish journalist on Thursday over his alleged involvement in a pro-Palestinian march, a security official told AFP. Cairo says journalist was planning pro-Palestinian protest .
Freelance reporter Per Bjorklund, who contributed to the Swedish publication Fria Tidningen, was stopped at Cairo airport when he returned from holiday and was deported early in the morning, the official said.
Bjorklund and several other foreigners were present at a peaceful march in January protesting against Israel’s assault of the impoverished Gaza Strip.
The protesters were stopped by police on a road near Cairo, and one of them, German-Egyptian dual national Philip Rizk, was arrested and held for several days.
Another participant in the march, American citizen Travis Randall, was also denied re-entry to Egypt last month. Both Randall and Bjorklund lived in Cairo.
"They took part in a protest, and were coming back to plan and participate in another protest," said the official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Bjorkland, who extensively covered labor disputes during his three years in Egypt, told AFP he had been reporting on the march and that he did not intend to plan any demonstration.
"I think it’s very unclear. If I broke some law the logical response would have been to arrest me," he said over the phone from Stockholm.
Randall, who wrote lifestyle stories for local publications, said he was told by the U.S. embassy in Cairo that he was barred from Egypt and added that he had not planned to take part in further protests.
"I was planning nothing, I was just planning on coming home," he said by phone from London.