Can male guardians prevent Egyptian women from leaving the country?

Question

As an unmarried adult Egyptian woman living abroad with a valid Egyptian passport, can my father/brother/... stop me, by law, from leaving Egypt after a visit there?

I know I don't need to show a permission by a male guardian at the airport to leave Egypt (unlike, say, women from Saudi Arabia), so by default I am allowed to leave the country, but what if my father/brother/... gets active to prevent that?

Answer 1

Given the nature of the question, I would add that in addition to any counsel from any lawyer, that these questions are given careful thought & consideration. You must make the decision as to whether or not to visit and must live with the risk & (potentially severe) consequences. Is it wise to rely on the law to protect you from hostiles?

IMHO based on the question, I suspect you are concerned that you will be held against your will in Egypt. If this is true, then there are other higher priority questions that should be posed:

• Is there law / practice / precedent that could cause detainment?
• Does the male relative have the positional authority to detain (policeman etc.)?
• Is the benefit of a visit worth the risk?
• What alternatives are available to visit: can you meet family in another country?
• What risk mitigation can be engaged to prevent detainment?

I am sure that there are other good questions that I have not listed. I hope this helps to make a good decision and avoid a bad outcome.