Netherlands temporarily closes embassy in Cairo amid protests over Egyptian national’s detention

By Sahin Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Netherlands has temporarily closed its embassy building in Egypt’s capital Cairo to the public amid demonstrations outside the premises, the mission said on Thursday.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the embassy said the Dutch Foreign Ministry had ordered the closure as a precautionary measure until further notice.

“As a precautionary measure, the Netherlands Embassy building in Cairo is closed to the public until further notice,” it said.

The embassy said people with scheduled appointments had been or would soon be notified about rescheduling.

It added that the temporary closure would not affect services provided by VFS Global in Cairo.

The embassy also advised those requiring urgent consular assistance to contact its emergency hotline.

The decision follows demonstrations outside the Dutch Embassy in Cairo last week, when dozens of Egyptians demanded the release of Ahmed Nasser, deputy head of the unofficial Union of Egyptian Youth Abroad, following his detention in the Netherlands, according to Egypt’s Al-Qahera News television channel.

On Oct. 13, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged his Dutch counterpart Tom Berendsen to ensure adequate protection for Egypt’s embassy in The Hague, in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the principle of reciprocity.

According to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, the two ministers agreed to address outstanding issues while maintaining friendly bilateral relations.

The discussions followed the circulation of videos on social media showing an Egyptian national holding signs criticizing Egyptian authorities in the presence of Dutch police officers.

During the call, Abdelatty also requested clarification regarding the detention of an Egyptian citizen in the Netherlands and called for his prompt release.

Şahin Demir