Maghreb Edition

Egypt: Canadian national held in custody in Egypt on unknown chargesF

Posted On 24 February 2019

Number of times this article was read : 326

Feb 24, 2019 – A Canadian citizen has been arrested in Egypt, his family has told public news network CBC, asking that Ottawa secure his release. Yasser Ahmed Albaz, a 51-year-old engineer who was in Egypt on business, was stopped and questioned as he was about to board a plane back to Canada last Monday, according to CBC. His passport was confiscated and an agent told him he was the subject of an investigation, the family said, according to the report.

Albaz was able to text a friend to let him know he had been arrested by the Egyptian security services, but he has not been heard from since, according to the report. The Canadian Foreign Ministry is aware that a Canadian citizen has been arrested in Egypt, spokesman Richard Walker said in an email to AFP.

He said consular services have been provided and officials were in contact with the local authorities to obtain more information, adding that privacy laws prevented him saying more. A daughter of Albaz, Amal, told CBC she feared for her father’s safety and asked Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland to intervene. Originally from Egypt, the Albaz family has lived in Canada for two decades, according to the CBC.

By AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

North African Countries Among World’s Cheapest for Gasoline, Lead Global Rankings$

North African countries currently rank among the cheapest places in the world to buy gasoline, according to international price data published in late April 2026. The global average pump price for gasoline stood at around $1.49 per liter, while several North African producers were charging less than half that level. Libya, Algeria and Egypt all sit among the most affordable markets globally — though two non-African countries, Venezuela and Iran, rank between Libya and the rest of the African group in the worldwide table.

Libya: A drifting Russian gas tanker threatens the Mediterranean$

Since March 3, 2026, the Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, 277 meters long, has been drifting off the Libyan coast. Loaded with 62,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 900 tons of diesel, and 450 tons of heavy fuel oil, it poses the risk of an environmental disaster for the Mediterranean basin. Amid repeated failures to tow the vessel, accusations of Ukrainian sabotage, and the powerlessness of Libyan authorities, the Mediterranean is on high alert.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.