A man from Burgenland was wrongfully imprisoned in Cairo for 1,805 days. In the “Krone” he now talks about his new life – and about his assistance to a former cellmate.
Everything looks like a little paradise. The beautiful house. The peaceful garden where trees, flowers and vegetables grow. “Yes”, says Hannes Führinger (42) “I have a quiet life here.” In this quiet village in Burgenland, near the Hungarian border. His wife Lisa, who is the same age, is sitting next to him at the table on the terrace.
“At some point we just wanted to forget”
“We hardly think about the bad days before,” she explains, “we almost don’t think about it anymore.” The “bad days before” she means: the many years, 1805 days, it was exactly that her husband was imprisoned in Cairo without any fault.
“Krone” readers may remember his story: The ex-soldier founded his own security company in 2010 and has since taken several assignments in Egypt. This was also the case in November 2011. At the time, he had to guard a ship – “once again”. There were four rifles in his luggage, declared and paid for.
“I don’t know why”, Lisa Führinger bursts out, “but as I was taking him to Schwechat with it, I suddenly got an uneasy feeling and asked Hannes not to fly.” But he didn’t take her premonitions seriously: “I actually laughed at it,” he recalls, “because of course I assumed this mission would be just like the others before it.” Agree with the government there, “and therefore harmless”.
A Terrible Judgment – “In the Name of Allah”
Then, upon his arrival in Cairo, ‘the unpleasant surprise. I was arrested for gun smuggling. It was said that I could buy myself free by handing over a sum of money and return to my homeland.” A deal the Burgenlander did not agree to, “after all I had done nothing wrong.” And he believed in “an early clarification of the false accusations”.
An error. During a show trial, he was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison “in the name of Allah”. He was eventually released earlier, on October 11, 2016, thanks to the efforts of the State Department and his attorney, Astrid Wagner. Führinger had already written a book about his fate in the horror prison Al Qanater, crammed into a 17-square-meter cell with another 40 inmates – which later became a bestseller.
One of the protagonists in it: his fellow prisoner Sergei, a Russian two years his junior and “who was my closest reference”; who was imprisoned in 2009. Why? “He, an environmentalist, collected plastic waste from the Red Sea and occasionally smoked a hash cigarette on Hurghada beach.” The result: a 15-year prison sentence.
So Sergej was in Al Qanater until now: “In exchange for a payment of almost 15,000 euros, he could now be released. That’s why I started a donation call for him on Facebook.” For this man from Novosibirsk, whose former friends have long since lost contact with him, whose only reference persons are his elderly mother, who has a minimum pension, and Hannes Führinger.
“My family gives me a lot of strength”
“We regularly write letters to each other. We just always keep in touch. Because we went through terrible things together, because we helped each other so much in our pain.” Sergei, emphasizes the 42-year-old, should not be associated with the atrocities committed by his compatriots in Ukraine: “Because I know: He is an extraordinary compassionate person.”
Back to Hannes Führinger: How did his existence develop after his return to Austria? “Positive. I returned to the army, in 2020 I changed jobs and did an internship as a mechanical engineer and designer. I now work for a great company, I really enjoy my job.”
And private? “Lisa and I were also married in church and we wanted a child, Mia, she is now 4.” Leonie (17), the daughter of his wife from a previous relationship, is also very fond of: “I am very proud of her. She goes to secondary school and is a good student.” Family is the most important to him, “it gives me strength” and this family includes – “not just like that” – male “Maxi” and bitch “Daisy”; rescued from a killing station abroad Mr. Führinger, you really seem in a wonderful world to live… “Lisa and I have created an ‘oasis’ for ourselves.”
“I became very humble in prison”
Are you sometimes asked about your time in Cairo prison? “Often. But sometimes I notice that people don’t dare to talk to me because they think they can cause me a re-traumatization. But there is no danger. Because I am so happy in the present.”
What is this happiness? “Be humble, recognize real values. I learned that in prison.” In practice this means something like: “Don’t throw away furniture or electronic devices if they break, but repair them. Or, for example, be very happy with tomatoes that thrive in the garden.
And appreciate what “a real relationship” means. “Lisa has not left me in the five years I have been imprisoned. She often visited me in Al Qanater, fought for me like a lioness, sent me countless letters of perseverance. I consider it a privilege to have such a person by my side.” Addendum: “And I hope that at some point – like me – Sergej will almost forget his drama.”
The donation account for him was set up at the Oberbank. Password Sergey: AT18 1500 0040 2101 7514.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
