In the Egyptian capital Cairo, there have been almost daily demonstrations at the Dutch embassy for more than two weeks. As a result, the embassy has been closed to the public for some time.
The protesters demand the release of the Egyptian Ahmed Nasser, who was arrested in the Netherlands on October 11. Due to the protests and safety concerns, the Netherlands closed the embassy to the public last week.
Embassies
The Egyptian government disputes that there are security problems at the embassy building. According to Cairo, there are no obstacles to the functioning of the Dutch embassy. Egypt also demands that the Netherlands guarantee the safety of Egyptian diplomatic buildings in The Hague.
The conflict arose from earlier protests by Egyptian-Dutch activist Anas Habib. He locked the gate of the Egyptian embassy in The Hague with a chain and padlock in protest against the Egyptian policy regarding the Gaza border crossing (namely, not allowing food convoys through). His action was followed by protests at Egyptian embassies in other countries.
Charge
Nasser, who was arrested in the Netherlands and is described as a supporter of the Egyptian government, was then detained on suspicion of threatening demonstrator Habib. Dutch police announced on Thursday an additional suspicion against “a 34-year-old Egyptian” who was already in custody, but did not name him — in accordance with Dutch privacy rules — so it is not formally confirmed that this is Nasser.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has asked his Dutch counterpart Tom Berendsen to release Nasser and provide clarification about his arrest. Both ministers spoke by phone about the issue and emphasized their wish to continue good relations between their countries.
ASML
The tensions also relate to a separate case involving Omar Elshal, a 34-year-old employee of the chip company ASML from Eindhoven. He has been imprisoned in Egypt for more than a year. The Netherlands is seeking to obtain medical care and a fair trial for him through diplomatic contacts.
The arrest of Nasser could complicate talks about Elshal. Political pressure to help Elshal is also growing in the Netherlands. More than a thousand ASML employees signed a petition and the Dutch House of Representatives urged diplomatic action at the highest level. For now, the Dutch embassy in Cairo remains closed to visitors.
