Tweet
ATOM EGOYAN AND ARSINEE KHANJIAN APPEAL FOR RELEASE OF CANADIANS IMPRISONED IN EGYPT ADD TO ...
The Globe and Mail , Canada
Aug 27 2013
SIMON HOUPT
The Globe and Mail
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan and his wife, the actress Arsinee Khanjian, have
joined a growing chorus of calls to release two Canadians arrested
by Egyptian authorities more than a week ago.
In a brief video posted to YouTube, the Cairo-born Egoyan asks for
the immediate release of "our good friends," filmmaker John Greyson
(Lilies, Zero Patience), and the London, Ont.-based emergency-room
physician Tarek Loubani. "These are very, very important members
of our community, they're very, very dear friends, they're people
of the highest, highest character, and I think this has all been a
tremendous misunderstanding."
He adds: "They are exceptional human beings."
Greyson and Loubani were detained on Aug. 18 when their supporters say
they got lost in Cairo and wandered into a police station to ask for
directions. They were arrested along with seven other foreigners, none
of whom have been charged. Despite protests by the Canadian government,
Egyptian prosecutors last week obtained an order permitting the men
to be held for an additional 15 days without charge.
The men had arrived in Cairo intending to continue on to Gaza, where
Dr. Loubani trains physicians in advanced cardiac and trauma life
support, but the turmoil in Egypt had delayed their travel.
On Tuesday, a Globe and Mail editorial called for their immediate
release, saying that keeping them in prison "is indefensible."
In the YouTube video, which has been posted on TarekandJohn.com,
a website advocating for their release, the Beirut-born Khanjian
greets viewers in Arabic and explains that she is good friends with
the two men. She then adds in English: "They have been very actively
important members of our community, as artists, as members of our
civil society, they have represented our culture, our arts, and -
in the case of Tarek - the sciences in this country."
"We are not only proud of them but we love them as friends, we expect
them to be safe and sound back to Canada, and we are looking forward
that you would do everything possible to make this happen, because
they are very important lives to be saved and celebrated with joy
and not with dread."
A petition on Change.org calling on the Canadian government to "help
free Tarek and John" had more than 82,000 names as of noon on Tuesday.
The men are expected to appear before an Egyptian prosecutor on
Wednesday afternoon to present documents proving they were not part
of the anti-government protests that have roiled Egypt this summer.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/atom-egoyan-and-arsinee-khanjian-appeal-for-release-of-canadians-imprisoned-in-egypt/article13977412/
The Globe and Mail , Canada
Aug 27 2013
SIMON HOUPT
The Globe and Mail
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan and his wife, the actress Arsinee Khanjian, have
joined a growing chorus of calls to release two Canadians arrested
by Egyptian authorities more than a week ago.
In a brief video posted to YouTube, the Cairo-born Egoyan asks for
the immediate release of "our good friends," filmmaker John Greyson
(Lilies, Zero Patience), and the London, Ont.-based emergency-room
physician Tarek Loubani. "These are very, very important members
of our community, they're very, very dear friends, they're people
of the highest, highest character, and I think this has all been a
tremendous misunderstanding."
He adds: "They are exceptional human beings."
Greyson and Loubani were detained on Aug. 18 when their supporters say
they got lost in Cairo and wandered into a police station to ask for
directions. They were arrested along with seven other foreigners, none
of whom have been charged. Despite protests by the Canadian government,
Egyptian prosecutors last week obtained an order permitting the men
to be held for an additional 15 days without charge.
The men had arrived in Cairo intending to continue on to Gaza, where
Dr. Loubani trains physicians in advanced cardiac and trauma life
support, but the turmoil in Egypt had delayed their travel.
On Tuesday, a Globe and Mail editorial called for their immediate
release, saying that keeping them in prison "is indefensible."
In the YouTube video, which has been posted on TarekandJohn.com,
a website advocating for their release, the Beirut-born Khanjian
greets viewers in Arabic and explains that she is good friends with
the two men. She then adds in English: "They have been very actively
important members of our community, as artists, as members of our
civil society, they have represented our culture, our arts, and -
in the case of Tarek - the sciences in this country."
"We are not only proud of them but we love them as friends, we expect
them to be safe and sound back to Canada, and we are looking forward
that you would do everything possible to make this happen, because
they are very important lives to be saved and celebrated with joy
and not with dread."
A petition on Change.org calling on the Canadian government to "help
free Tarek and John" had more than 82,000 names as of noon on Tuesday.
The men are expected to appear before an Egyptian prosecutor on
Wednesday afternoon to present documents proving they were not part
of the anti-government protests that have roiled Egypt this summer.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/atom-egoyan-and-arsinee-khanjian-appeal-for-release-of-canadians-imprisoned-in-egypt/article13977412/