How much help can tourists expect from their consulate if they get arrested or face legal trouble in Egypt?
From messages by 3 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 54 days ago
A consular assistant was appointed only a week after the arrest, and the family got any real information about the case only after 10-11 days. After the assistant was assigned, the consulate asked the family not to contact them again.
10-11 days before info
The private lawyer they found refused to work without 100% prepayment — around $200 per court hearing. The free translator provided by the consulate barely spoke the language and was practically useless.
$200 per hearing
The hotel refused to help find witnesses and denied access to the extensive CCTV footage on its property, even though the incident should have been captured on camera.
A hotel animator staff member was threatened with being fired and blacklisted from working at any hotel in Egypt if he repeated to the prosecutor what he had already told Russian TV — that the incident was accidental.
Even though many tourists at hotel events are constantly filming on their phones, none of the potential witnesses came forward or shared footage that could help the investigation.
A guest with extensive experience (5 stays at the same hotel) notes that hotel management usually tries to resolve disputes over accommodation and food, and advises not to boycott Egypt entirely over one incident — but to be very cautious, since this kind of setup can happen at any hotel.