CAIRO: An alleged Israeli spy arrested in Egypt this week could face a trial within weeks, local Egyptian newspapers reported on Thursday. According to the reports, the Egyptian prosecution wants to expedite the proceedings as quickly as possible. According to al-Ahram Weekly, the prosecution wants to charge Ilan Grappel with “trying to recruit locals and inflame the conflict between the Egyptian people and the armed forces.” The same report claimed that when Grappel applied for a visa to Egypt at the Embassy in Tel Aviv he said he was Muslim. Al-Ahram added that the alleged spy, who is also an American citizen, was sending “several emails from Internet cafes to the Mossad.” Other local newspapers have reported that a number of Egyptian activists have, since Grappel's arrest, come forward with evidence claiming they were approached by the man. The Israeli government has denied any knowledge of the person the Egyptian authorities are saying is a Mossad spy arrested in Egypt on Sunday over suspicions of spying and recruiting young Egyptians to move against the military rulers of the country. Jerusalem Post quoted a Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem saying the ministry was “totally and completely unfamiliar with the story,” and was looking into the matter, after first hearing about it in the media. On Monday, Judge Hesham Badawi of the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered the suspect detained for 15 days on suspicion of “spying on Egypt with the aim of harming its economic and political interests,” the MENA news agency reported. According to daily Israeli newspaper Ynetnews, American officials in Egypt have visited Elan Grappel in detention. BM
