There is no evidence that the recent death of an Egyptian national in Germany was a result of a criminal act, the German Embassy in Cairo said on Wednesday.
The embassy said that routine investigations conducted by the German general prosecutor into the death of an allegedly hospitalised Egyptian citizen last June in the western German city of Essen were still ongoing.
Cairo has demanded a swift probe by German authorities into the incident, saying that its envoy in Berlin has requested "official clarification" of the incident following reports by local media.
The embassy affirmed that the German foreign minister and involved authorities in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia were in direct contact with Egypt's envoy in Berlin regarding the incident.
The statement by the German embassy comes one day after Egypt's foreign ministry said it is carrying out an inquiry into the death of 22-year-old Egyptian Mohamed Abdel-Fattah "while in custody in Germany".
The statement by the German embassy did not refer to any apprehension by police of Abdel-Fattah, only saying he died in a hospital in Assens.
However, according to Egypt's consulate in Frankfurt, local German authorities told the Egyptian side Abdel-Fattah had been previously stopped by local police, and that an official probe was opened.
The death of Abdel-Fattah was first reported by the man’s father during an interview on an Egyptian TV channel.
The father said that his son had been tortured to death by German police officers in the western German city of Essen, claiming Egyptian authorities were never informed of his arrest..
Abdel Fattah's father said his son held Italian residency, and frequently traveled between Germany, France, and Italy for business.
