Egyptian TV presenter Amr Adib broadcast on Wednesday the video confessions of six foreigners and one Egyptian national who authorities say were arrested for their involvement in a hostile plot to spread chaos in Egypt.
During his TV night talk show El-Hekayah on MBC channel, Adib said that the suspects entered Egypt earlier this month as part of a hostile plot to incite against the Egyptian state.
Among the suspects is Ashraf Asaad, a Palestinian national and Gaza resident who entered Egypt on 18 September through the Rafah land port, and has been identified by Egyptian security as a member of the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds Brigades and who works as an agent for monitoring and communication.
In his confession video, Asaad said he was directed by his group to enter Egypt one day before last Friday s protest to monitor the developments on the ground and support "the revolution in Egypt."
Another of the suspects is Peter Bos Haroun, a Dutch national who entered Egypt on 14 September via Cairo International Airport and was staying at Cairo s Downtown Hotel.
In his confession, which Haroun gave in English, he said that he flew a drone from the rooftop terrace of the hotel to take pictures and videos, but was arrested hours later by Egyptian police after being spotted by one of the hotel s employees.
Adib said that according to security sources, Haroun was tasked by "a foreign party" to observe Tahrir square and nearby streets on the day of the demonstrations.
Security sources also said that he communicated with several individuals responsible for rallying demonstrators.
Berat Bertan, a Turkish national, said that he was arrested in Tahrir square for filming security forces and checkpoints deployed in a number of areas in central Cairo.
Thaer Hossam, a Jordanian national, said that he is a member of the anti-Jordanian government communist party in his country, and that he came to Egypt to incite chaos by publishing videos on social networking sites.
Abdullah Kemak, a Turkish national, said that he had come to Egypt to take part in the protests and film the developments in Tahrir Square with the aim of creating chaos and inciting against the Egyptian state on social media on behalf of a hostile nation.
Abdul-Rahman Ali, another Jordanian national and a member of the Jordanian communist party, said that he came to Egypt in September to participate in demonstrations in order to spread chaos, adding that he was arrested while heading to Tahrir Square to film live videos to broadcast on social networking sites.
Mustafa Ahmed Mustafa, an Egyptian national who works in Saudi Arabia, admitted that he joined the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group in 2012 and participated in the sit-ins at Rabaa El-Adaweya and El-Nahda Square and a number of riots and violence acts against the state.
Mustafa said that he received $5,800 to recruit young people to participate in Friday s protests based on directives from the International Muslim Brotherhood organisation.
Along with their detailed confessions, Adib displayed all the passports of the suspects and showed parts of the footage they filmed.
On Monday, Adib revealed for the first time publically that President El-Sisi was the target of a foiled assassination attempt in 2015 at his summer residence in El-Maamoura neighbourhood in Alexandria.
Adib played video confessions of two members of Lewaa Al-Thawra, a terrorist organisation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, where they talked about the assassination attempt.
Adib also showed footage the suspects had taken of the president s residence while preparing to carrying out the assassination.
Last Friday evening, Egypt s police dispersed limited protests in Downtown Cairo and several other cities following calls to demonstrate against alleged mismanagement of public funds by government officials.Last Friday evening, Egypt s police dispersed limited protests in Downtown Cairo and several other cities following calls to demonstrate against alleged mismanagement of public funds by government officials.
Hundreds of protesters also marched and chanted anti-government slogans in several cities including Cairo, Alexandria and Damietta on the Mediterranean, Mansoura and Mahalla in the central Nile Delta, and Suez city.
Unofficial reports have said that hundreds were arrested during last Friday s protests and the days after, including politicians and activists, although no political entity has endorsed the calls for protests.
Last Friday s protests came after a string of videos were posted online by an Egyptian contractor, Mohamed Ali, who says that he worked on various construction projects with state institutions and currently resides in Spain. Ali made allegations of mismanagement of funds under the tenure of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
President El-Sisi has said in public statements that the accusations are based on lies and fabrications, stressing that the allegations of corruption aim at destabilising the trust of the people in their state institutions at a time when the government is working to overcome economic challenges and is fighting terrorism. President El-Sisi said that the state has spent EGP 4 trillion in the past several years on projects to develop the economy and benefit ordinary Egyptians.
Since last Friday s protests, Egyptian TV channels and pro-state platforms have been accusing the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood organisation of sponsoring and inciting for protests in Egypt, as part of a plot to disrupt the country s political and economic stability with the aim of overthrowing President El-Sisi s government.
In turn, the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated channels, which air from Qatar and Turkey, have maintained calls for public protests and demonstrations until the Egyptian regime is overthrown.
Ali has called for more protests next Friday against the Egyptian president.
