Accused of Attempting to Target Sisi’s Aircraft… Turkey Deports Muslim Brotherhood Member Mohamed Abdelhafiz

Amid growing public and political opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkish authorities have today deported a prominent Brotherhood figure linked to a major terrorist plot recently foiled by Egyptian authorities.

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The individual is Mohamed Abdelhafiz, one of the leaders of the armed group “Hasm,” whose name appeared this week in a statement by Egypt’s Ministry of Interior as part of a cell planning acts of sabotage.

Two days ago, Turkish authorities arrested Abdelhafiz upon his arrival at Istanbul Airport, according to a post by his wife on Facebook.

Today, his wife announced in a new post that he had been deported from Turkey, without disclosing his next destination.

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The Turkish government has made no official comment confirming or denying the wife’s statements.

His arrest came one day after the Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced it had dismantled a terrorist cell affiliated with the Hasm movement, which was planning to target vital facilities and carry out hostile operations within the country.

According to the ministry, Mohamed Abdelhafiz was among those involved in this plot. He had reportedly received advanced military training in a neighboring country before attempting to illegally enter Egypt.

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Who is Mohamed Abdelhafiz?

He is an agricultural engineer from the Sadat Center in the Monufia Governorate and is 29 years old.

He is considered one of Egypt’s most wanted individuals for serious terrorism-related charges, including:

• Attempting to target the presidential aircraft of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
• The assassination of officers and security personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel Majed Abdelrazek.
• He received life imprisonment sentences in several military cases, including Case No. 120 of 2022, Cairo East Military Court.
• His name was placed on Egypt’s terrorist list for three years, after the Court of Cassation rejected an appeal against the decision in April 2018.
• He was among the fugitive leaders working to revive the Hasm movement’s activities, planning attacks on security and economic targets within Egypt.

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