Mother of Egyptian detained for waving Palestine flag forced to write pro-regime post on Facebook

Egyptian police threatened the mother of Omar Morsi, the young man who was arrested last Friday for waving the Palestinian flag in Tahrir Square, a human rights advocate has told MEMO.

“They forced her to write on Facebook that she and her son respect [Abdel Fattah] Al-Sisi so much,” said Hisham Mahmoud.

Omar, 23, was forcibly disappeared for three days during which time there was widespread concern about his health.

Omar is partially paralysed after being shot during the January 25 Revolution and despite undergoing various operations.

His mother, friends and human rights advocates circulated the news of his detention on social media and Omar was released on Tuesday.

READ: Egypt will never be an honest broker for Palestine until facts really change on the ground

Omar and his family are long-time opponents of the regime, Mahmoud says.

“Omar was lucky to be released,” he adds. “But thousands of political detainees didn’t have such good luck.”

There are roughly 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt who are systematically tortured and an alarming number sentenced to death.

Despite its rhetoric in support of the Palestinians undergoing extreme violence and aerial bombardments from Israel, the Egyptian regime has continued to crack down on Palestinian solidarity on the ground at home.

A female journalist was arrested for wearing the Palestinian scarf and raising the flag the same day as Omar, she was released a few hours later.

Egyptian authorities also arrested a doctor who volunteered to help the wounded in Gaza after he allegedly disclosed military secrets after tweeting about his journey through North Sinai.

Hossam El-Din Shaaban wrote on Twitter that on Sunday no injured person had passed through the Rafah Crossing.

Egypt has pledged medical aid, prepared hospitals and transported doctors to the border, however as of Tuesday none of the 1,000 doctors had passed through to the Strip.

Over 1,700 people have been wounded by Israeli air strikes yet only 15 have been treated in hospitals in North Sinai.