Embassy a refuge for Americans banned from leaving Egypt

Three American democracy advocates barred by Egyptian authorities from leaving the country have sought refuge at the US embassy in Cairo.

The unusual step comes amid a row over an Egyptian crackdown on US-funded groups promoting democracy and human rights that could jeopardise more than $1 billion of crucial American aid to Egypt, one of its biggest recipients.

The situation is closely intertwined with Egypt’s political turmoil since Hosni Mubarak’s fall nearly a year ago. The generals who took power have accused “foreign hands” of being behind protests against their rule and frequently depict the protesters as receiving foreign funds in a plot to destabilise the country.

White House press secretary Jay Carney yesterday said: “We’ve made clear our concerns about this issue and our disappointment that these several citizens are not being allowed to depart Egypt.”

Egyptian authorities are preventing at least six Americans and four Europeans from leaving the country, citing an investigation which opened last month after a raid by heavily armed security forces on the offices of ten international organisations.