OTTAWA — A man who was set to be deported from Canada to Egypt, where he faces a death sentence, says the federal immigration minister intervened in his case and prevented his removal. 

Dr. Ezzat Gouda was ordered to return to Egypt by Nov. 1, despite claims that he would be persecuted and killed because of his political affiliations in the aftermath of the Arab Spring revolution. 

Gouda says he showed Canadian officials court documents that prove he has been sentenced to death in Egypt, but was told they were too vague and insufficient for his refugee claim to be accepted.

On Wednesday, as he prepared to board a flight back to Egypt, he says he suffered a stroke and was taken to the hospital.

Gouda says that later in the day, he learned in an email from the Canada Border Services Agency that Immigration Minister Marc Miller had stopped the deportation. 

Miller’s office said it would not respond to questions about the matter because of privacy concerns. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2023.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press