Former state TV anchor Tarek Abdel Gaber will return to Egypt on Wednesday, according to his lawyer Tarek Al-Awady.
Abdel Gaber left his position as a state TV reporter in the Gaza Strip in 2013 to work for the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated TV channel Al-Sharq following the 30 June 2013 uprising.
His decision to return back to Egypt raised questions over potential prosecution. This is because several other journalists were detained upon arrival following trips abroad recently, including journalist and Sinai researcher Ismail Alexandrani, who is currently in detention for allegedly belonging to the Brotherhood.
“Abdel Gaber will hold a press conference upon his arrival at the airport,” Al-Awady said. He added that his client is not wanted on any cases and his name is not on the arrivals ban list.
Daily News Egypt tried to reach Abdel Gaber for comment but he was not available. However, he said in a TV phone interview on Friday that he regrets his earlier decision to work with Al-Sharq and asked for forgiveness from the Egyptian people.
Gaber said he is currently suffering from a health condition due to cancer and will stay in Egypt for a week before embarking on a medical treatment trip.
Following the ouster of the Brotherhood regime in 2013, the number of arrested journalists has been on the rise.
A February report by the Press Syndicate stated that an estimated 42 journalists are either in detention or at risk of being detained. They include 20 cases related to the practice of journalism, seven of which are prison sentences issued in absentia. Eight journalists are currently under investigation.
