Daily Intelligencer: Egypt deports members of alleged sect

Egypt deports members of alleged sect

The Daily Intelligencer (Doylestown, Pennsylvania)/1985-11-07

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Egyptian authorities have ordered five Americans and a Frenchman held on suspicion of belonging to a sexually oriented religious cult to leave the country, prosectors said Wednesday.

"A decision was made to let them out of custody and deport them, but the investigation is still going on," said an official, who declined for policy reasons to be named. He said no charges had been filed and that the deportation order was based on "political considerations." He did not elaborate, but the U.S. and French embassies were known to have been exerting pressure for the suspects' release.

The six, released Monday, were the last of 15 people investigated since early October for alleged ties to U.S.-based Children of God cult. The cult's unorthodox sexual, political and religious beliefs run counter to Egyptian law, which forbids trying to convert Moslems.

The husbands, wives and children were arrested Oct. 7. American and French officials and Egyptian prosecution sources said the investigation focused on the detainees' alleged distribution of tracts and other literature attacking religions and the cult's tenets calling for free sex.