Egypt Reverses Travel Ban on Teenager Inventor

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim has reversed a decision barring a teenage inventor from travelling to Los Angeles for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Abdallah Assem, 17, was prevented from boarding a flight at Cairo Airport on Sunday.

The teenage inventor was arrested on 24 April in Cairo’s Bab El-Louk district on charges of illegal protesting and participating in the burning of a police vehicle. He was later released on bail pending trial.

He was scheduled to represent Egypt at the science event in Los Angeles.

Interior Ministry aide Abdel-Fattah Othman said Assam was arrested for illegal protesting and participating in the burning of a police vehicle in the city of Assiut, Upper Egypt.

Othman added that Assam was released from detention pending investigation and was barred from leaving the country because of the trial.

The teenager inventor denies all the charges. He said he was arrested while innocently walking through an area of Cairo in which a pro-Mohamed Morsi protest was taking place.

Assem is senior in high school in Aswan, Upper Egypt.

His research focused on quadriplegic patients.

Source: Ahram Online