The mother of a Westcliff man locked up in an Egyptian jail for almost two years broke down in tears as she branded Tony Blair "a disgrace" for ignoring her son's plight.
Abi Nawaz has campaigned for the Prime Minister to intervene in the case of her son Maajid ever since his arrest, but he has not involved himself in the campaign.
Southend West Tory MP David Amess yesterday asked Mr Blair in the House of Commons when he intended to meet with Mr Nawaz's family and intervene in the case.
Mr Blair explained Mr Nawaz and two other Britons had been in jail since March 2002 when they were arrested on suspicion of being members of an outlawed religious group.
Mr Blair told Parliament: "I can assure you I will keep track of this case very closely indeed, but you have to remember because of the history of these issues within Egypt it is a sensitive matter for the Egyptian authorities too."
Abi Nawaz said she had heard the same response before and accused Tony Blair of dodging the question.
Published Thursday January 22, 2004
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article