Egypt blocked plans Tuesday for a nightclub event themed around US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious parties, and arrested its organizer, the interior ministry said.

The event, promoted as “A Day on Epstein’s Island,” had been scheduled for Tuesday. The event had been announced on social media with free entry for women, the ministry said.

Epstein, who died by suicide in a US prison in August 2019, has returned to the spotlight following the online release by the US government of 2.8 gigabytes of documents related to his case, including interrogation recordings, flight logs, and court files.

The documents mention European royals, diplomats, and former heads of state, renewing scrutiny of the network surrounding the disgraced financier, who had pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is one of the leaders facing pressure over the release.

He refused to heed calls to quit, even by the leader of his party in Scotland, pledging to fight on after his appointment of longtime Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as US ambassador plunged his government into crisis, with multiple resignations.

The statement by the Egyptian government added that the gathering in that country had been advertised “without obtaining the necessary permits from the competent authorities.”

Alongside the statement, authorities released blurred photos of the detained organizer as well as the promotional flyer.

When contacted by AFP using the phone number printed on the flyer, the nightclub insisted it had no connection to the event. One of the three DJs listed also denied any involvement.

The controversy erupted after a video circulated online showing a women’s rights activist expressing outrage over the event’s theme, which she described as inappropriate given Epstein’s criminal history.

Under pressure over the appointment of a man whose close ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have come into full focus, Starmer has attempted to change the narrative.

But a demand from Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, for him to quit and the departure of a second senior aide........

© The Times of Israel