EGYPT: Americans and Egyptians accused of illegally buying babies appear in court
Record ID:
1519745
EGYPT: Americans and Egyptians accused of illegally buying babies appear in court
- Title: EGYPT: Americans and Egyptians accused of illegally buying babies appear in court
- Date: 15th March 2009
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR DEFENDANTS LOUIS ANDROS AND IRIS BOTROS, SAMEH AHMED SALEH, SAYING "During all the process she's asking the people there only one question - 'Is this what we do is legal?' Everybody says to her, 'Yes its legal'. So she didn't know, she didn't realize. If she did know that it's illegal she will be going to the States and taking a child from there and it's over." ALKIS AND HER HUSBAND ATIF RUSHDI AMIN IN COURT SUSPECTS IN HOLDING PEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR DEFENDANTS LOUIS ANDROS AND IRIS BOTROS, SAMEH AHMED SALEH, SAYING "Okay, she's adopting a child, it's legal in the United States, she's Christian and it's legal in Christianity and she didn't realize absolutely that she's doing something wrong." JUDGES ANDROS AND BOTROS IN HOLDING PEN WIDE OF COURT
- Embargoed: 1st April 2009 02:32
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Legal System
- Reuters ID: LVAAU41A66934JY3715E2923OWJP
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Two U.S. couples pled not guilty on Saturday to charges of buying babies in Egypt for illegal adoption, the first known case in the country involving foreigners, a lawyer and judicial sources said.
The judge had ordered the trial to begin May 16, he said.
Two American women, at least one of whom is of Egyptian origin, had been taken into custody in Egypt and were among those accused of taking part in purchasing children for sums of up to 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,600) for a girl and 25,000 pounds for a boy.
Egyptian prosecutors in January charged 11 people in the baby-buying scheme, including a third U.S. couple believed to be in the United States with the baby they obtained in Egypt.
The couple and an Egyptian doctor were charged in absentia, the judicial sources said.
The others charged in the case, including doctors, nurses, and a tourist guide, also denied the charges against them, the judicial sources said.
Egypt does not generally allow its children to be adopted by foreign nationals, and it is also rare for Egyptians to gain permanent legal guardianship of children not born to their families due to social, religious and legal strictures.
The case, which involves four infants, came to light after an Egyptian and her American husband approached the U.S. embassy in Cairo to arrange to take two of the babies out of Egypt. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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