The Cyprus Mail reports:
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS with the new Egyptian government have taken a rather “uncomfortable” turn after the Egyptian ambassador was accused by police of swearing at and slapping an officer at Larnaca airport.
The diplomat counter-alleged that she was manhandled by police.
On Saturday afternoon, Egyptian ambassador Menha Mahrous Bakhoum went to Larnaca airport to see off her husband and adult children who were visiting the island. Claiming diplomatic immunity, Bakhoum wanted to accompany her family to the boarding gate.
The airport authorities obliged but things got a little hairy at the security checkpoint, leaving the police, foreign ministry and Cairo all looking for a rock to hide under.
According to reports, Bakhoum agreed to undergo security checks, putting her purse and coat on the X-ray machine conveyor belt but drew the line on taking her boots off.
At this point, various media claim Bakhoum swore at police officers and slapped one female officer, resulting in the latter getting a swollen cheek and sick leave.
Then five male police officers allegedly grabbed hold of the ambassador and took her to a room to explain her actions to a more senior officer. According to sources, affronted by the effort to detain or arrest her, the ambassador pulled the hair of the senior officer, who happened to be wearing a wig.
At this point, Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis was alerted to the incident and contacted airport police immediately, ordering the release of the Egyptian diplomat citing her diplomatic immunity under the 1961 Vienna Convention.
Bakhoum was left free to go but by Sunday, the Cypriot media had got wind of the story, leading reporters in Cairo to probe their government spokesman on what exactly happened.
The Egyptian ambassador gave a different account:
For her part the ambassador gave a differing account to the Foreign Ministry, claiming violence was used against her and she was forcibly detained at the airport.
Let’s go to the videotape.
Hmm, methinks the ambassador has trouble with telling the truth. Not to mention her temper.
One of the commenters said something about Jews…. How exactly are we relevant to this?
Jews come to Cyprus, and she probably thought Jews corrupted the airport staff, and she was treated poorly because of Jewish involvement. Also, she was probably not angry at the airport security, but distracted and upset about the plight of the Palestenians under the barbaric occupation. Also, the powerful world Jewish lobby had a hand in this.
At least someone is taking a stand against airport gestapo.
Keep point is it’s NOT illegally occupied Turkish Cyprus. It’s the nation of Cyprus where Egyptians and Muslims generally don’t feel they need to respect the law.
BTW more than 10,000 Britons have purchased properties in illegally occupied Turkish Cyprus, from the Turks who stole the properties from the Greek Cypriots they ethnically cleansed in 1974. I wonder if the UK government will take any action or simply do what they always do; scream and pout and whine about where they demand that Jews be suffered to live?
Dear E Pluribus Beagle
Is it also not illegal what Israel doing ?
Bless
With respect to what?