Dissident Mohammed Ali fears Egyptian 'agents' in Spain

In a new video posted by Egyptian dissident Mohammed Ali, the whistleblower expressed fears that his life was in danger despite his exile in Spain.

The construction contractor and film producer- who fled Egypt after exposing corruption within the military and specifically involving Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi- said he held the Spanish government responsible for his safety.

Ali said that he was pursued by Egyptian agents two weeks ago in a failed attempt to ‘liquidate’ him.

The businessman has been a key figure driving force in an online campaign against Sisi, which turned into actual protests on Friday evening.

Thousands of Egyptians risked arrest and worse in response to Ali’s call for protests, a rarity given Sisi’s reputation for ruthlessly repressing dissent.

Another Khashoggi? 

Any attempt on Ali’s life would undoubtedly cause an international media spectacle, especially given the outrage following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul by a hit squad operating on behalf of its Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

But if comments made by senior Egyptian officials are taken at face value, the scenario is not as far-fetched.

In July, despite the outcry in response to Khashoggi’s killing, Egypt’s Immigration Minister Nabila Makram threatened to cut the throats of those who spoke out against her country.

“Anyone who says anything about our country, what happens to them...we cut,” Makram said at a party for members of the Egyptian diaspora.

"It reminds us of the Jamal Khashoggi case," said Mohamed Kamel, a member of the board of directors of the Egyptian Canadian Coalition for Democracy to a Canadian radio station.

While Egypt has trouble policing dissidents outside its borders, internally it presides over one of the most repressive systems in the world.

Tens of thousands of opposition activists have been imprisoned in Egypt’s jails and protests have become a rarity after several brutal massacres, such as the Rabaa massacre in Cairo in 2013.