The author of the best selling novel 'The Yacoubian Building', Alaa al-Aswany said he would not travel back to his homeland to face a "biased" military court.
Earlier this month, Mr al-Aswany announced in an op-ed in Deutsche Welle that he was being sued by Egypt military for insulting the president, armed forces and the judiciary.
Over the past decade, Mr al-Aswany became a prominent anti-government figure in Egyptian politics.
His activism included participation in protests during the 25 January Revolution against the Mubarak regime in 2011, and also taking part in the June 30 Protests against the ruling of the Muslim Brotherhood.
In an exclusive interview with SBS Arabic24, he said he believed that freedom of speech was being hit hard by Egypt’s strong man leader Abel Fattah El Sisi.
“During the Muslim Brotherhood and Armed force ruling, we enjoyed the freedom of speech that we gained after the 25 January revolution,” Mr al-Aswany said.
“But now in the age of el-Sisi, you are only free to praise him. Those who dare to criticise him should face the consequences.”
Mr al-Aswany said he believed he was facing the consequences of his criticism of the Egyptian regime.
His lawyers advised him to stay in the United States where he gives lectures on literature at New York’s Bard College.
“The lawyers told me not to go back [to Egypt], so I have to wait and see how things will unfold," he said.
"I want to go back to Egypt because I did not do anything. I only used my right to express myself.”
Determined to fight the charges, Mr al-Aswany decided not to send his lawyers to attend the investigation or review the charges.
“I will not take part in this law case, because if I do, it will be considered an approval to prosecute writers for their own opinion and prosecute them in front of a military court. I will not take part in this,” he added.
He believed that his most recent work may have been the reason for the military prosecution.
His novel, The Republic, portrays a military general that tortures young political activists in underground cells.
“The novel documents what happened during the 25 January revolution, that’s why the generals are not happy,” he said.
Asked if he had plans for the future, he responded: “I will continue to do what I am doing. It is my duty to write and express my opinion.”
The Yacoubian Building, which was published in Arabic in 2002, has sold more than a million copies in 35 languages.
Mr al-Aswany is the recipient of 20 international literary honours and awards for his novels.
SBS has contacted the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian State Information Service for comment.
