One of Egypt‘s most popular online content creators is facing criminal proceedings after being arrested on charges of illegal currency trading, according to reports.
Ahmed AbouZaid, who runs the educational YouTube channel Droos Online, was arrested by security forces at his home in the Nile Delta last week after withdrawing a large amount of money from his bank account.
He now faces a criminal trial after being accused by the Egyptian Public Prosecution of illicit currency dealing.
AbouZaid denies the charges and said the money was obtained legitimately through the earnings of his social media channels.
AbouZaid is one of Egypt’s most prominent online influencers with more than 11 million followers on social media.
His Droos Online YouTube channel provides English language and graphic design courses and has accumulated almost 8.7 million subscribers since its launch 12 years ago.
He had been shortlisted for the prestigious 1 Billion Followers Award but was excluded following his arrest, which came just days before the winner of the $1 million prize was announced at an awards ceremony in Dubai.
The Egyptian government has introduced heavy restrictions on the use of foreign currency due to the country’s recent economic crisis.
“It is against the law to get a large amount of foreign currency and keep it at home. The presence of large amounts of foreign currency at home raises numerous suspicions, including money laundering and tax evasion,” lawyer and rights advocate Negad Al-Borai told The New Arab.
AbouZaid should be able to secure his release if authorities confiscate the money, he added.
Egypt extends detention of pro-Gaza protesters
Criminal courts across Egypt have renewed the detention of 173 pro-Palestine activists who were arrested on terror charges following protests against Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
Judicial authorities have ordered that their detention be extended by another 45 days while investigations continue, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Arabic-language sister publication of The New Arab.
Since the onset of the war, Egypt has witnessed sporadic, low-key protests against Israel, which have been swiftly crushed by security forces.
Public protests have been banned in Egypt without a security permit since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seized power in 2013.
