Activists Stage Action at Egyptian Embassy to Call for Release of Mohamed Soltan, Egyptian-American on Hunger Strike in Egyptian Prison


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2014


Contact: Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-founder, 415 235 6517, medea@codepink.org

Alli McCracken, CODEPINK Organizer, 860 575 5692, alli@codepink.org


Activists Stage Action at Egyptian Embassy to Call for Release of Mohamed Soltan, Egyptian-American on Hunger Strike in Egyptian Prison


Where: Egyptian Embassy, 3522 International Ct NW, Washington, DC 20008

When: 12:00 noon, Monday, April 21, 2014

Visuals: Activists with face masks of Soltan, signs around neck reading “I am Mohamed Soltan,” large banners


Washington, DC –– CODEPINK, Nonviolence International, and Egyptian Americans for Democracy and Human Rights will stage a protest in front of the Egyptian Embassy at noon on Monday, April 21 to call on the Egyptian government to release Mohamed Soltan, an Egyptian-American who has been languishing in an Egyptian prison for over 8 months. On April 21st, Soltan will have been on hunger strike for 85 days and his health is rapidly deteriorating. Activists will wear masks of Soltan’s face with signs around their necks reading “I am Mohamed Soltan.” They will have large banners in English and Arabic and will attempt to deliver thousands of petition signatures to Embassy officials.


Just over 8 months ago, Soltan was shot in the arm while assisting journalists in their coverage of the political demonstration protesting the Egyptian military coup. A few days later he was arrested. His trial has been postponed over and over again and there is no set date for him to go to court. Since overthrowing the Morsi government in July 2013, the Egyptian military has killed over 1,000 people and jailed over 20,000, and it is clear that Soltan’s arrest was politically motivated.


Soltan had previous health problems for which he was being treated in the United States. And now, with his prolonged hunger strike, his life is at risk.

“A 26-year-old American man is dying right now because he stood up for the democratically elected government in Egypt,” says Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK co-founder. “As a mother, I plead with the Egyptian government to let him return to the United States and be reunited with his family.”


"Our family is deeply concerned about the level of medical neglect Mohamed faces in Egyptian prisons and the inhumane conditions he is being kept in,” says Mohamed’s brother Omar Soltan. “Civilian journalism is not a crime, but Mohamed is paying with his life for his belief in democracy and freedom of expression as all Americans do."



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