Egypt minister warns against media pressure

Cairo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abdul Gait has warned against the "consequences of sharp media handling" of Saudi Arabia's punishment of two Egyptian doctors by jailing and flogging.

"Media escalation on both sides is harmful. It is difficult for any government to work under media pressure," Abdul Gait said yesterday.

Last month, a Saudi court sentenced Egyptian doctors Raouf Al Arabi and Shawki Abd Rabuh to 15 years in prison and 1,500 lashes each for causing the wife of a Saudi prince to get addicted to the painkiller morphine during medical treatment. The court also convicted them of illegally dealing in drugs and having illicit affairs.

The verdict drew angry reaction from Egypt's human rights groups and media, who have accused the Saudi authorities of unfairly treating Egyptians working there. A series of protests were recently staged in Cairo pushing for the two doctors' release.

Progress

"No one accepts flogging inside Egyptian society where this penalty is not applied," added the Egyptian official. He added that he had written to his Saudi counterpart Saud Al Faisal about Egypt's view on the issue.

"There is currently a quiet discussion with Saudi Arabia on this issue, based on respect for the Saudi judicial system and laws and at the same time respect for our citizens and their humanity," he added.

More than a million Egyptians, including some 150,000 medical professionals, work in Saudi Arabia.