A British A-level student is being held in an Egyptian jail, accused of “spying,” after taking a photo of a military helicopter as his plane landed in the port city of Alexandria, his family claim.

Muhammed Fathi Abulkasem, 19, was reportedly travelling to visit friends in Egypt for a holiday, when he was arrested at Alexandria airport. His family have not been able to establish direct contact with the teenager, though a lawyer acting on his behalf says he’s being held in a prison cell accused of “collecting information of a military facility.”

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His cousin Shareen Nawaz, said that details about the exact nature of the offense are unclear, with the family struggling to come to terms with Abulkasem’s detention.

“All within a few days he’s in court being accused of being a spy. His parents are going out of their mind,” Nawaz said.

“His 13-year-old sister has been puking up blood because she overheard a conversation and it was her who told Muhammed to take the picture. It’s madness – is it that easy being a spy?”

Abulkasem, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, was travelling on a plane from Libya with a friend, according to the Manchester Evening News. According to the paper, he was born and educated in Manchester, but had recently moved to Libya with his family to support an elderly relative.

Abulkasem’s mum, Imaan Rafiq, said her son was “a big soft teddy.”“We just want to stop this before a kid’s life is ruined,” she added.

The family have appealed for British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to intervene. In a statement, the Foreign Office said: “We are seeking more information from the Egyptian authorities following the arrest of a British person in Alexandria, as well as permission for consular access. Our staff are providing assistance to his family.”

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It comes on the back of 31-year-old Matthew Hedges, a British PhD student sentenced to life in jail for ‘spying’ for the UK government, being released from a UAE prison, after being pardoned by the Emirati government.

Hedges case had sparked a diplomatic row between the UK and the UAE. The student’s wife, Daniela Tajeda, had accused the British government of “putting their UAE interests above a citizen’s rightful freedom.”

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