An Egyptian journalist, known for his criticism of the country's government, went missing upon his return to the country, his son said on Sunday.
Jamal Al-Jaml had arrived at Egypt's Cairo International Airport from Turkey's Istanbul Airport on Feb. 22 and his whereabouts remained unknown since then.
Longing to see his family and country after several years in exile in Istanbul, the Egyptian journalist Jamal al-Jaml was arrested in Cairo airport upon his arrival in reprisal for his critical writings against the Egyptian government. His whereabouts is unknown. pic.twitter.com/TikxqNSlxO
— Ahmed Ezzat (@ahmed3zat) February 28, 2021
"My father was tired and wanted to come back to Egypt. The moment he reached the Cairo International Airport, he disappeared mysteriously and we could not reach him," Jamal's son Baha Al-Jaml said on Facebook.
According to media reports, Al-Jaml was sentenced to two years in jail for "insulting the judiciary" and expected to be transferred to Tora prison after interrogation.
In 2014, Al-Jaml wrote an article for the Egyptian-based Al-Masry Al-Youm daily in which he criticized the way of governance in the country and later Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi allegedly called to warn “him”.
The journalist left the country on a voluntary exile following the phone call from the Egyptian president.
Meanwhile, various Egyptian media outlets and opposition figures criticized the country's authority over Al-Jaml's disappearance.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
