The Egyptian government has stripped 22-year-old Mohammed Radwan al-Senussi from the southern Luxor region of his citizenship for his participation in the war in Ukraine on Russia's side, the Al-Ahram newspaper reported, BTA reports.
According to the official decree published in Egypt's state newspaper, al-Senussi from the village of Al-Maris lost his Egyptian citizenship after acquiring a foreign one and joining the army of another country - actions that violate Egyptian law.
Mohammed al-Senussi left for Russia in 2021 with the intention of studying medicine, attracted by the lower admission requirements compared to universities in Egypt. Initially, he maintained contact with his family, but later the communication was interrupted. A little later, his relatives learned that he had joined the Russian army and was sent to the front in Ukraine.
In February of this year, Ukrainian content creator Dmytro Karpenko published an interview with al-Senussi, in which it became clear that he was captured by the Ukrainian armed forces just a few days after he was sent to the battlefield. In the hour-long video, Karpenko even contacted the captured man’s mother.
In the interview, al-Senussi said that he was pressured to join the Russian army and that he signed a contract through which he received Russian citizenship, a monthly salary and other financial incentives. He claims that he believed that he would only undergo military training, but was subsequently sent directly to the front line.
An investigation by “Al Ahram“ reveals other similar cases – two videos showing alleged Egyptian citizens also captured as fighters by the Russian army.
In March of this year, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced new restrictions - students between the ages of 18 and 35 must now obtain special permission to study in Russia or Ukraine. Under Egyptian law, citizens must seek official approval from the Ministry of Interior before acquiring foreign citizenship.