Egypt's Foreign Ministry says Italian authorities have released a former minister wanted in Egypt after detaining him briefly.
Italian authorities conducted an investigation on Thursday with Dr. Mohamed Mahsoub, who served under former President Mohamed Morsi, where he was held for 12 hours at the request of Egypt before being released.
The ministry's Thursday statement said Mahsoub's release took place after the Italians determined he has held Italian citizenship since 2016.
The Egyptian ministry said it will monitor Mahsoub's case.
Mahsoub has been living outside Egypt since Morsi was deposed in July 2013. He was arrested based on an Interpol red notice in force since 2016, after multiple court verdicts against him in Egypt accusing him of a range of crimes, including fraud and insulting the judiciary. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
On Wednesday, the former minister released an online video saying he was held at Comiso police station in southern Italy based on "fabricated charges."
Since the ousting of Morsi, hundreds of Brotherhood leaders and supporters have fled the country, with thousands being tried in Egypt on charges of joining a terrorist group and resorting to violence. The Egyptian authorities have repeatedly stressed “the commitment to freedom of opinion and expression and the treatment of all prisoners in accordance with legal provisions.”
Mahsoub left Egypt following the overthrow of Morsi, to live in France. He recently went to Italy on a private visit. He served as minister of state for legal affairs and parliamentary councils for several months, before resigning at the end of 2012.
