Although the Attorney General, the Minister of Interior and the cabinet have announced that Magdy Al Nashar has no links to al-Qaeda or the London bombings and that he is not wanted by British authorities, he remains in custody.

Al Nashar had just completed a PhD in biochemistry at Leeds University in England when he briefly became the focus of a massive manhunt following the 7 July London bombings.

An official close to the investigation told Cairo that the 33-year-old chemist is in good health and that his release is a matter of time. Al Nashar was being held for his own safety, the official said, but didn’t say what dangers might be threatening his security. He confirmed that there were no criminal charges pending against Al Nashar.

“There is nothing against him in Egypt or England,” he said. “England even announced the arrest of all the wanted persons and his name was not mentioned.”

Al Nashar’s location remains unknown. Neither lawyers nor Al Nashar’s family have been able to locate or visit him, and his family relies on media reports for updates on his arrest.

“We have not visited him,” said Mohammed Al Nashar, his brother. “We are just waiting for this story to be over and for him to regain his normal life and his innocence to be declared.”

Hani Al Nazer, director of the National Research Center, where Al Nashar works, said the incident is not likely to affect his career. “This type of situation is possible where a person is mistakenly suspected and then things return to normal when the issue is clarified,” he said.