Egypt court remands daughter of Doha-based cleric

A court on Sunday remanded in custody the daughter and son-in-law of influential Doha-based scholar, Yousef al-Qaradawi, a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, a judicial source said.

Ola al-Qaradawi and her husband, Hisham Khaled, were expected to remain in detention for 15 days, on accusation of being members of the Brotherhood, which is outlawed in Egypt, and “planning terrorist action against the security of public institutions,” reported Egyptian media.

Family lawyer Ahmad Abu Ala Madi told Anadolu Agency the couple was arrested on 23 June at a beach resort on Egypt’s northern coast while on holiday for Eid-al-Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain announced on 5 June the suspension of political, economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremist groups.

In a joint statement, the countries accused 59 individuals, including Qaradawi, and 12 charities in Qatar of being “linked to terror,” local media reported. Qaradawi is the chair of the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars and has a wide following in the region through his broadcasts on Al Jazeera. 

Saudi Arabia and its allies on Monday extended a deadline for Doha to accept a series of demands to lift a de facto blockade. Their demands include ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the closure of Al Jazeera television, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and the closure of a Turkish military base in the emirate.

The 48-hour extension was in response to a request by the Kuwaiti emir who is acting as mediator in the Gulf crisis.

Qaradawi, whose theological programme Sharia and Life is broadcast by Al Jazeera and followed by millions of viewers, had previously offended many Arab leaders with criticism of their rule. In February, the UAE summoned its Qatari ambassador specifically over remarks made by the cleric which Abu Dhabi was not happy with.