CAIRO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities stopped
an American woman boarding a flight to Germany on Thursday
because she is facing trial over illegal funding of civil
society groups, an airport official said.
Mary Elizabeth Whitehead, 56, is one of dozens of people who
have been barred from leaving Egypt during a judicial
investigation into the funding of pro-democracy organisations,
said the official, who asked not to be named.
Whitehead, who had taken no luggage with her, tried to board
the plane minutes before it was due to take off but was ordered
to turn back by airport security, he said.
Groups caught up in the probe, including the U.S.-funded
National Democratic Institute and International Republican
Institute, are banned from working in Egypt and some of the
Americans under suspicion have taken refuge in the U.S. embassy.
The case has caused a crisis in relations between Egypt and
Washington, with Congress warning it may cut its $1.5 billion in
annual aid to Egypt if the crackdown drags on.
Government officials accuse the organisations of interfering
in Egypt's internal affairs and carrying out political
activities unrelated to their civil society work.
Egyptian civil rights campaigners say the investigations are
retaliation by Egypt's ruling generals against pro-democracy
groups that have been among the army's harshest critics since it
took power when Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last February.
The government and the ruling military council say the case
was initiated by the judiciary and is out of their hands.
The 43 accused, including about 20 U.S. citizens, are due to
go on trial on Sunday, charged with working in the country
without proper legal registration, according to a judicial
source.
(Writing by Marwa Awad; editing by Andrew Roche)
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