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Egyptian prisoner renounces his nationality to escape sentence

Prisoner Mohammed Sultan renounced his Egyptian nationality to escape a jail sentence, which stirred many questions about the law on the extradition of prisoners.
Protesters rally in support of Al Jazeera journalists Abdullah al-Shami and Mohammed Sultan,who were detained by Egyptian authorities, in front of the Press Syndicate in Cairo, June 1, 2014. According to Al Jazeera's website, the two journalists have been in detention since August last year for providing information to the Muslim Brotherhood. The government has declared the Brotherhood a "terrorist group". The Brotherhood says it is a peaceful organisation. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITI
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CAIRO — A sharp controversy raged on Egypt's social media after Mohammed Sultan, jailed nearly two years ago in the “Rabia Operations’ Room” affair, revealed his waiver of Egyptian nationality to escape a jail sentence in Egypt and be deported to the United States on May 30. He had been imprisoned since Aug. 25, 2013.

Sultan made this decision within the scope of Egyptian Law No. 140 of 2014 allowing the extradition of convicts holding another nationality or a dual nationality from Egyptian territories to their respective countries if they revoke their Egyptian nationality.

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