An Egyptian man charged with spying for Israel pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial on Saturday and stressed he confessed under torture, a court official said. Mohammed el-Attar, 30, a former student at the Islamic Al-Azhar university in Cairo, was detained on Jan. 1 as he returned from abroad to visit his family in Egypt.
According to the AP, he was charged with spying for Israel and harming Egyptian national interests. Three Israelis, who were charged alongside el-Attar, remain at large and are being tried in absentia. Last week, Egyptian authorities asked Interpol to arrest the three Israelis.
After el-Attar's appearance Saturday at the State Security Emergency court, the judge adjourned the hearings until next Wednesday.
In his plea, el-Attar accused security officers of torturing him to get his confession.
