Cairo to release Sudanese protestors

Cairo: Egypt has decided to release 143 Sudanese protestors who were detained by the police after the break-up of a protest last month.

Egyptian police originally rounded up more than 600 people who were part of a three month demonstration that ended in violent clashes in December.

Egypt had said it wanted to send all of them back to Sudan but has since released some of them.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has asked the authorities not to send people back to Sudan and has been interviewing those still in detention to
determine whether any are entitled to be labelled refugees.

Those with refugee status would be exempt from deportation.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit they plan to release Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers but will deport illegal immigrants.