Egypt arrested a man on Sunday identified in Israeli media reports as a U.S. citizen suspected of spying for Israel and recruiting agents to destabilize Egypt, a prosecutor and judicial sources said.
The MENA news agency said the man worked for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. It named him as Ilan Chaim Grabel and said he was arrested at his hotel in central Cairo.
The Jerusalem Post said the man, whom it identified as "Ilan Grapel", is originally from New York and moved to Israel after graduating from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Judge Hesham Badawi of the supreme state security prosecution ordered the man to be detained for 15 days on suspicion of "spying on Egypt with the aim of harming its economic and political interests," MENA reported.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the case. Officials at Egypt's Foreign Ministry could not be reached for comment.
Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has experienced months of political upheaval since protesters overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, who had maintained close ties with Israel.
Detention orders of 15 days are often renewed in Egypt if further questioning is deemed necessary.
'Inciting youths'
One judiciary source said the man had been active in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the revolt against Mubarak, after the former president stepped down.
"He was there on a daily basis inciting youths toward sectarian strife. He was distributing money to some of them," the source said, adding he had been encouraging some youths to clash with the army. He said youths reported the man's actions.
Friends of Grabel told the Post of his affinity for the Arab world, with one saying he studied Arabic and traveled throughout the Middle East and another describing him as "very pro-Arabic" and someone who liked "hanging out in Egypt."
"He probably went there for an adventure and to see Tahrir Square," one of the friends told the Post. "He is very left-wing and has been in Cairo before for months at a time."
A statement issued by Egypt's public prosecutor said the suspect had been sent to Egypt to recruit agents "trying to gather information and data and to monitor the events of the January 25 revolution."
The prosecutor also said that the suspect was "present at demonstration sites, inciting protesters to carry out riots and that would disturb public order and trying to stir strife between the army and the people with the aim of spreading chaos and a return to the state of security breakdown."
Reports: US man held in Egypt as Israeli spy - TODAY News - TODAY.com
The MENA news agency said the man worked for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. It named him as Ilan Chaim Grabel and said he was arrested at his hotel in central Cairo.
The Jerusalem Post said the man, whom it identified as "Ilan Grapel", is originally from New York and moved to Israel after graduating from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Judge Hesham Badawi of the supreme state security prosecution ordered the man to be detained for 15 days on suspicion of "spying on Egypt with the aim of harming its economic and political interests," MENA reported.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the case. Officials at Egypt's Foreign Ministry could not be reached for comment.
Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has experienced months of political upheaval since protesters overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, who had maintained close ties with Israel.
Detention orders of 15 days are often renewed in Egypt if further questioning is deemed necessary.
'Inciting youths'
One judiciary source said the man had been active in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the revolt against Mubarak, after the former president stepped down.
"He was there on a daily basis inciting youths toward sectarian strife. He was distributing money to some of them," the source said, adding he had been encouraging some youths to clash with the army. He said youths reported the man's actions.
Friends of Grabel told the Post of his affinity for the Arab world, with one saying he studied Arabic and traveled throughout the Middle East and another describing him as "very pro-Arabic" and someone who liked "hanging out in Egypt."
"He probably went there for an adventure and to see Tahrir Square," one of the friends told the Post. "He is very left-wing and has been in Cairo before for months at a time."
A statement issued by Egypt's public prosecutor said the suspect had been sent to Egypt to recruit agents "trying to gather information and data and to monitor the events of the January 25 revolution."
The prosecutor also said that the suspect was "present at demonstration sites, inciting protesters to carry out riots and that would disturb public order and trying to stir strife between the army and the people with the aim of spreading chaos and a return to the state of security breakdown."
Reports: US man held in Egypt as Israeli spy - TODAY News - TODAY.com
