Amidst international cries for their release, York film professor John Greyson and London, Ontario doctor Tarek Loubani are still being held in an Egyptian prison.
The actual date of the arrest is unconfirmed, but most sources have reported it to be between August 16 and 18. Loubani, who is an emergency room physician and assistant professor at Western University, was arrested alongside York’s Professor Greyson on accusations of being part of an armed gang, threatening security, and possessing firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
The two were originally in Egypt on a stop-over when they were apprehended by Egyptian police. Both Greyson and Loubani were headed to Gaza; Greyson was hoping to shoot a documentary, while Loubani was set to take part in the training of local doctors.
On August 20, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Youm Al-Sabea released the Cairo prosecutor’s statement which said Greyson and
Loubani, along with seven other prisoners were required to stay in prison for 15 days.
“The pair were at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Following the hiring of lawyers to represent Greyson and Loubani, Justin Podur, York professor and mutual friend of Greyson and Loubani, wrote on his blog that the allegations announced by the prosecutor are not formal charges.
“The prosecutor is not bound by any rules of evidence, and as a result, the press release was full of wide-ranging, far-fetched, and outright bizarre accusations,” Podur wrote online. He added that the 15-day detention order is not jail time, but rather a “detention order pending investigation.”
The detainment of Loubani and Greyson comes at a turbulent time for Egypt as they face the deadliest period of civil unrest they have seen in 60 years. It was only recently that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was ousted as from o ce, and since then, conflict has erupted between the Muslim Brotherhood, the military, and other political factions within the country.
This recent violence has killed over 1,000 people, which makes the detainment of the two Canadian even more concerning for family and friends.
According Canadian officials in Egypt, it appears that the pair were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and were apprehended during the arrests of anti-government protesters, reported CTV. Shalakany Law Office has been hired to represent Greyson and Loubani and is currently working to free the pair, who are being held pending an investigation by prosecutors.
Greyson, who has been part of York’s film department since 2005, is both an awarding winning filmmaker and professor of video theory, film production, and editing. President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri says the university as a whole is extremely concerned about the safety and well being of Greyson and Loubani.
“We are in contact with Canadian government officials about the detainment of the two men, and we offer our support for theirsafe return,” says Shoukri.
“Our thoughts are also with their family and friends at this time.”
Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, told CBC on August 19 that the federal government is trying to call on the Egyptian ambassador for the release of Greyson and Loubani.
Meanwhile, demands for the quick release of the two Canadians has been growing in Canada. Other universities, including Western and Queen’s, have released statements of support, along with organizations like the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Canadian Doctors for Medicare, and the Toronto International Film Festival.
A petition has also been set up on change.org, calling on the Canadian government to put pressure on Egyptian authorities for a quick release and has gathered over 86,000 signatures as of publication.
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