Alisdare Hickson in Cairo's Tahrir Square after the fall of President Mubarak

by Adam Williams

A Kent man has been arrested in Egypt after getting caught up in unrest in the country.

Alisdare Hickson, 48, spent eight days behind bars after being held by authorities in Cairo when he was mistaken for a stone-throwing protester.

His father Tony, of New Dover Road, Canterbury, has had to rely on limited information coming back from the north African state since Alisdare’s arrest.

He said: “It’s all been rather difficult to understand. I’ve only found out information through my daughter Suzette, who is currently in Bangladesh or from my grandson Adam, who is out Egypt, but not in Cairo.

“A friend of his from Canterbury has been talking to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on his behalf and emailed me on Monday to say he’d been released on bail, but has another hearing to attend next Monday.”

Political unrest in Egypt captured by Alisdare Hickson

Alisdare has been living in Egypt with his partner Seifein since October 2007, working as a sales manager in a hotel health club on the Red Sea coast.

During the revolution last year, which saw the fall of president Hosni Mubarak, he photographed the celebrations in Tahrir Square.

Tony (pictured left) believes Alisdare’s curiosity about the country's unrest is what led to his arrest.

He added: “The reports I’m getting is he was photographing protesters who were throwing stones at authorities when a group of them were chased through the streets. Police eventually caught up with him and arrested him thinking he was also throwing stones.

“Alisdare’s always been one for wanting to put the world to rights and no doubt he went off to take pictures as part of that desire.”

Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman Michael Bownas confirmed they were made aware of Alisdare’s arrest immediately.

He said: “Since then, we have been offering consular advice to him and his family.”

See more of Alisdare's pictures of the unrest in Egypt in this week's Kentish Gazette.