Airdrie man fears for family’s safety amid Egypt protests

An Airdrie man is worried about his family in the wake of anti-government protests across Egypt.

Hassan Ismail came to Canada from Egypt six years ago but almost all his family still lives in that country.

“Everyone is in fear right now. Even me, I am afraid to go there right now.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Everyone is in fear right now. Even me, I am afraid to go there right now.

“My family over there. They fear,” Ismail said.

Protesters are calling for the resignation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi following allegations of mass corruption.

Unauthorized protests are illegal in Egypt.

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“You have to support Sisi as a person, as a president, or you have to shut your mouth.

“If you don’t shut your mouth, you will go to jail or get killed. This is the situation,” said Ismail.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If you don't shut your mouth, you will go to jail or get killed. This is the situation," said Ismail.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged Egyptian authorities to protect the right to peaceful protest.

Sisi rose to power in 2013, after leading the military ousting of elected president Mohamed Morsi.

Watch below (Sept. 8, 2018): Egypt sentenced 75 people to death on Saturday and several others were handed life sentences over a 2013 pro-Muslim Brotherhood which ended with the killing of hundreds of protesters by security forces.

1:21 75 people sentenced to death, others receive life sentence in Egypt over 2013 sit-in