Egypt: – Tourist imprisoned – Captured with 'archaeological discoveries'

A dream ten-day holiday in Egypt has ended in a prison sentence and a life ban for a 56-year-old tourist.

Many French newspapers, among others, wrote about this topic Le Figaro And the broadcaster euronews.

Nathalie, 56, who gave only her first name, requested an interview with the national newspaper Le Figaro.

The woman is said to have been on her way to her home in France when she was stopped during a security check at Luxor International Airport in eastern Egypt.

The 56-year-old is said to have bought a statue from the hotel's art shop, which airport staff strongly believed was a 4,500-year-old ancient statue.

The woman, who was said to be carrying the piece in her handbag, was arrested and charged with trading and possessing antiquities.

Shared cell with 40 others

She was detained at the Luxor police station for eight days during the investigation, and was initially placed in a small cell with 40 other people, reportedly.

The woman is said to have bought the statue from the Winter Palace, a five-star luxury hotel, for 240 euros – just over 2,800 Norwegian kroner.

– I really fell in love with this thing – a little figure wearing an apron, sitting with her hands on her knees. “I had no idea it would bring such bad luck,” she adds. Le FigaroWhich also posted a photo of the statue.

He had to go to court

After Nathalie spent the first night on the cell floor, along with 40 others, Jean-François Rial, managing director of the travel agency Voyageurs du Monde, was able to arrange a “special” cell for the woman at the police station. He explains.

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– Having been in Egypt for 30 years, we have never had to deal with this type of issue. We have a good network, and this helped us improve Natalie's conditions in the following days. But it was difficult to speed up the process, Real tells Le Figaro.

According to French media, the 56-year-old woman eventually had to appear in court before a French-speaking judge.

– Banned for life

“To prove that the statue was a copy, the shop owner had to provide the address of the production workshop where there were similar statues on the shelves,” Le Figaro wrote.

– Children were raped by their fellow students

After much back and forth, the woman was said to finally be put on a flight back to Paris, but only after the French embassy in Cairo took the necessary measures.

– According to what I understand, I am banned from entering Egypt for life, she told the newspaper, adding that she does not intend to let the matter lie.

According to Euronews, her lawyer will take the necessary measures to lift the ban, and she also wants official confirmation that the case has been dropped.