January 19 – One of the most revered footballers in Egypt’s history has been placed on the country’s terrorism list over claims that he was directly involved in funding the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Dubbed The Magician, Mohamed Aboutrika, who played for al-Ahly and won 100 caps for his country, has been blacklisted for alleged ties to the Islamist movement, according to his lawyer.
The Muslim Brotherhood was banned in 2013 after the Egyptian military overthrew President Morsi. The subsequent crackdown on Brotherhood members left hundreds of people dead and tens of thousands imprisoned even though the organisation insists it is a peaceful movement.
Aboutrika, who notched 100 caps for his country between 2001 and 2013, is accused of helping to fund the Muslim Brotherhood. His lawyer, Mohamed Osman, says he has “not been convicted or formally notified of any of the charges against him.”
Consequences of being placed on the terror list include a travel ban and assets frozen, a draconian rule that has been widely attacked by human rights organisations. Osman confirmed his client will be appealing the government’s decision.
Aboutrika won an unprecedented fourth African Footballer of the Year award after helping Al-Ahly to its eighth African Champions League title before retiring in late 2013. He is not currently living in Egypt but is attending the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, where he is reportedly working as a commentator.
He played more than 350 times for al-Ahly, one of Egypt’s biggest clubs, scoring 199 goals. Although he publicly supported Morsi’s bid to become president in 2012, he flatly denies that he ever funded the Muslim Brotherhood.
Osman says the Criminal Court’s decision was “contrary to the law” and that his client’s asset freeze is still in place despite having been lifted by a court ruling in June 2016.
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