Plainclothes thugs attacked Ayman Nour, Egypt’s much-harassed opposition politician, and his contingent at a fish restaurant in Hurghada last night, Bikya Masr reports.

Ahmed Abdul Gawad, Nour’s media assistant, was severely beaten and wounded, Nour told Bikya Masr on Saturday evening in a telephone conversation detailing what had occurred. Until late on Saturday, Nour and his assistants remained stuck inside the restaurant, which was surrounded by the “thugs” who continued to shout: “Viva Mubarak, Viva Egypt” …”

Local opposition members said they recognised the thugs as “security forces aided by some members of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) Council in Hurghada.” 

Police failed to intervene, despite calls, but an official from the US state department reportedly helped to negotiate the group’s exit from the restaurant after several hours. Bikya Masr suggests the US became involved because an American film-maker was with Nour at the time.

Nour, the founding leader of al-Ghad party, challenged Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential election and won 7% of the vote. He was jailed on what were widely regarded as trumped-up charges and eventually released last February.

Earlier this month, amid obvious signs that Mubarak’s son, Gamal, is being groomed to take over, Nour was involved in launching a campaign against a hereditary presidency. Last Wednesday, a meeting in Cairo connected with the campaign was stormed by about 50 police.

Earlier yesterday, Nour had told the German Press Agency that he was planning to bring a lawsuit against Gamal Mubarak for acting as “the unofficial ruler of the country”.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 25 October 2009.