The case of two Egyptians detained in Yemen is the latest in a series of problems for Egyptian expatriates. Most problems that led to expatriates' detention are related to security issues in the countries they reside in. The latest case is related to a cultural tradition in Yemeni society: revenge. The two were kidnapped last week by a Yemeni family to put pressure on Yemeni authorities to hand over the killer of their son to them. The son was killed earlier in Aden and his killer was arrested by Yemeni authorities. However, the family wanted to avenge the death of their son by taking the law into their own hands. In an attempt to release the two Egyptians, detained in the Yemeni southern governorate Abyan, the Egyptian Embassy in Yemen conducted high level contacts with Yemeni officials and heads of tribes. While the contacts were described as successful and positive and that the detainees would be released soon, they remain captive. The Foreign Ministry did not release any statements regarding the issue this week. It was not the first time Egyptians were detained in Yemen. In February, four Egyptians were detained there on security charges. Egypt's Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr contacted his Yemeni counterpart Abu Bakr Al-Qurba over the issue. The ministry followed up the case with the Egyptian embassy in Sanaa and hired lawyers to defend the four suspects in court. Four other Egyptians were detained in August last year on suspicion of belonging to Al-Qaeda. They were arrested along with 14 suspects, including nine foreigners, said to be Al-Qaeda militants, who were suspected of plotting a series of attacks. Yemeni authorities said then that suspects were allegedly planning to target the army and civilian leaders, as well as sites of foreign interest. Egypt's Foreign Ministry monitored the investigations and stressed that the detainees should be returned to Egypt as soon as possible. The problem of detainees is prominent in the Gulf countries especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE which arrested 11 Egyptians in December last year. UAE authorities had arrested the Egyptians on suspicions of having links to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. The men were accused of collecting sensitive information and of having links to UAE nationals who had been detained on suspicion of plotting against the country's national security. Although President Mohamed Morsi dispatched a high-ranking delegation that included top presidential adviser Essam Al-Haddad and General Intelligence Chief Mohamed Shehata to negotiate with UAE officials over the release of Egyptian prisoners, Abu Dhabi rejected Cairo's call to free them, saying that justice would take its course. Egypt's Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the UAE in January to clarify the case and appoint lawyers. Dozens of Egyptians also held demonstrations near the UAE Embassy in Cairo chanting slogans against the emirate and what was described as the unjust arrest and the immediate release of the detainees. Many human rights organisations underlined the illegality of keeping the detainees in detention without disclosing the exact charges and not allowing them access to lawyers or visits by family members. The detainees include doctors, engineers and university professors, all of whom have lived and worked in the UAE for years, some for over two decades. However, the detainees problem in the UAE saw a recent breakthrough when UAE officials announced last month the release of more than 100 Egyptian detainees arrested by UAE authorities on various charges. There are more than 200 Egyptians still detained in the UAE, including the 11 arrested in December. The move was described by Egyptian officials as an example of the depth of the relationship between the two countries. The decision also included the paying off of all financial obligations incurred by the detainees as a result of their detention. The move came during a visit by Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb who was named Cultural Personality of the Year by the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards. Other detention cases especially in Saudi Arabia include detainees who have been held for more than seven years without charge. Protests were repeatedly held in front of the Saudi Embassy by the families of detainees for their release. Dozens have been freed, and others were released following Morsi's visit to Saudi last year. The issue topped the agenda of issues discussed during the meeting of the consular Egyptian-Saudi committee held at the Foreign Ministry in Cairo last week. There are still dozens of detainees held in Saudi prisons and Egyptian authorities have been repeatedly accused of failing to help in their release.
