2 Canadians detained in Egypt launch hunger strike
Posted September 16, 2013 1:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Two Canadians who have been detained in Egypt for a month will launch a hunger strike to protest their arrest.
Tarek Loubani and John Greyson told friends and supporters about their decision on Monday.
Loubani, a doctor from London, Ont., and Greyson, a Toronto university professor and filmmaker, were detained Aug. 16 during deadly riots in Cairo.
Charges have not been laid and they could be detained for up to two more years, according to new emergency measures put in place in Egypt.
“We can only imagine the anguish that John and Tarek feel after realizing that their detention could be extended for so long in what can only be described as an arbitrary process that lacks any credibility,” Cecilia Greyson, John’s sister, said in a statement.
“We know that they did not take the decision to begin a hunger strike lightly, and we want them to know we will do everything we can to support them and get them home soon,” she added.
Loubani’s brother Mohammed Loubani thanked Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (DFATD) employees, consular officials and strangers for their support.
“We also want to thank Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper, Minister [John] Baird, and Minister [Lynne] Yelich for advocating for John and Tarek’s release at the highest levels of the Egyptian Government,” Loubani said.
The two were en route to Gaza, where Loubani planned to teach emergency-room medicine and Greyson was considering producing a documentary.
Canadian foreign affairs officials have said it appears the men were in the wrong place at the wrong time when they were detained.
A change.org petition calling for the release of the two Canadians has received 115,000 signatures to date.
In addition, 311 prominent cultural and academic figures have signed a letter calling for John and Tarek’s release. Among the signatories are Alec Baldwin, Alex Gibney, Arundhati Roy, Atom Egoyan, Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Danny Glover, Sarah Polley, Naomi Klein and Michael Ondaatje
Another protest is planned in Montreal next week. Supporters will gather at the Egyptian Consulate at 1 p.m. on Sept. 24.
With files from The Canadian Press
