Dostour Party denies rumors of ElBaradei’s return to Egypt

Former Vice President for International Relations Mohamed ElBaradei has not returned to Egypt, and reports that he has are mere “rumors,” Dostour Party spokesperson Khaled Dawoud told Mada Masr on Thursday.

ElBaradei is currently taking a two-month vacation at his Vienna home, where he typically spends summers with his family, Dawoud said.

His departure to Europe following his resignation from the Cabinet in the aftermath of the deadly dispersal of pro-Mohamed Morsi sit-ins in August was “a personal decision, and the lawsuits filed against [ElBaradei] are of no importance and have nothing to do with it,” Dawoud asserted.

After ElBaradei resigned from his post in protest against the state-backed crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood protesters, charges were filed against him accusing him of treason and breaching the trust of the country.

“The problem is that in this country, there are no punishments for circulating rumors,” the spokesperson argued. ElBardei is concerned about the various rumors circulating about him within Egypt and the charges levied against him, but this is not the reason why he left the country, Dawoud added.

The privately owned newspaper Al-Watan reported on Thursday that the Dostour Party founder was due to return in Egypt next Tuesday.

"A number of ElBaradei supporters have put together a page on social media urging people to meet and greet him at the airport," the newspaper wrote.

ElBaradei had tweeted last August that rumors about him and his personal life were nothing more than desperate attempts to bring back tyranny. He added that he would continue to speak out as long as he was alive, and that the revolution continues.