Egyptian MP Mohamed Zain El-Din urged Egyptian cabinet on Monday to intervene and save 43 Egyptian workers who are reportedly being held captive and deprived of food by an Iraqi businessman in Mosul and Basra.

Zain El-Din sent an urgent request to the cabinet — namely the ministries of foreign affairs, manpower, and emigration — to immediately interfere and respond "to the suffering of these workers and help them obtain all their rights."

According to Zain El-Din, the detained Egyptians work in two different companies owned by businessman Faisal Farid Rageh  — the Shuaiba natural gas plant in Basra and Hamam Al-Alil natural gas plant in Mosul.

"Rageh has been depriving the workers from food for about 10 days “to place pressure on his government,” the MP said.

Zain El-Din did not explain what kind of pressure the businessman is trying to put on his government and could not be reached for comment.

According to the MP, Rageh also refused to treat some of the workers who have suffred from fainting due to the detention.

Zain El-Din said that the detained Egyptians are facing humiliating treatment as well as direct threats.

According to Zain El-Din, the businessman allegedly said “I will not treat anyone and whoever dies, dies.”

The businessman has also reportedly deprived the workers from their salaries for about 14 months.

Thousands of Egyptians work and live in Iraq.