CAIRO/KUWAIT CITY: One of the two Egyptian workers who were tortured and detained by Kuwaiti authorities was released on bail Saturday and plans to return to Egypt as soon as possible. According to Hassan Selim, the brother of Hossam Selim, who is still being held in a Kuwaiti prison, the Egyptian embassy in Kuwait provided the 400 Dinars necessary to secure both prisoners' release. However, Kuwaiti authorities only authorized the release of Gamal Abdel Shafy, stating that they could not release Selim because his residency permits expired two years ago. On July 24, Hossam Selim, 28, and Gamal Abdel Shafy, 25, were arrested as they were leaving their rented apartment in El Khetan district at about 4 pm, Hassan Selim previously told Daily News Egypt in a phone interview from Kuwait. He said that two Kuwaiti policemen asked to see their ID and took them to the immigration investigation bureau without giving any valid reason for the sudden detainment. When they reached the bureau they were physically and verbally abused by four Kuwaiti policemen. Selim said the policemen beat them with metal rods and sprayed sulfuric acid on their backs, necks and genital organs after hanging them naked against a wall. In another phone interview Saturday, Hassan Selim told Daily News Egypt that both his brother and Shafy are planning to return to Egypt as soon as Selim gets out of jail. He also said that Kuwaiti authorities are preventing both men and their brothers from returning to Egypt by confiscating their passports to pressure the men to withdraw the case. "The general prosecutor in Kuwait transferred the case to the forensic investigation team to issue an official forensic report by the end of the month, he added. "At that time the court will be making a final decision on the case. He also said that the Egyptian embassy in Kuwait had instructed him not to speak to anyone about the case or to speak to his brother until the issue with the residency permit is resolved. Mahmoud Aliwa, spokesperson at the Egyptian embassy in Kuwait was unavailable for comment at press time. Ashraf Abdel El Shafy, Gamal's brother, previously told Daily News Egypt in a phone interview that the Kuwaiti policemen offered the two men money to force them to withdraw the case and not to report the abuse to other authorities, but they refused. "They [the Kuwaiti policemen] offered them hush money so they wouldn't talk about the torture.they also promised to send them back to Egypt safely. But we all refused, said Abdel Shafy. He confirmed that both Hossam and Gamal had procured an authorized residence permit in Egypt before moving to Kuwait for work, stressing that all their documents are legal and official.
