Couch at home is all cleric now dreams of

AFTER sleeping on the cold floor of a prison cell for almost 500 days, all Sheikh Abdus Salaam Bassiouni wants to do is relax on the couch with his family at his Johannesburg home.

The 65-year-old Muslim cleric was released this week from Egyptian custody where he had been detained without charges since December 2014.

Two weeks ago he appeared at a pre-trial hearing when his release was ordered.

Bassiouni, who is still in Egypt, said he was elated and extremely grateful. “It has been a long wait for this day.”

He said after his release from Tora Prison, on the outskirts of the capital, Cairo, he had been moved to different police stations, unsure what was going to happen next.

“The last two weeks was extremely tense and I had many anxious moments during my wait, but I had faith that I will be released.”

Bassiouni was detained when he entered Egypt with his family to attend his daughter’s engagement. On arrival at Cairo International Airport, he and his son Bilal were taken into custody.

They were interrogated separately about their political affiliations and questioned whether they were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt’s government has declared a terrorist organisation. Bilal was released 20 hours later.

Bassiouni, who holds dual Egyptian and South African citizenship and has lived in South Africa for 25 years, was finally released early on Tuesday.

“Sleeping on the floor in a 3m by 3m cell with nine other people during my entire duration in prison was a painful and agonising experience. This aggravated my back injury which I sustained while in Tora Prison.”

Bilal, who has spoken to his dad via Skype, described him as being frail.

“His cheekbones are showing. He went for a medical checkup on Thursday and we are awaiting his blood results and results from his scan. We are still unsure about his travel back home. We want him back in South Africa as soon as possible,” he said.