Arrested Canadians in Egypt to Stay in Jail for 45 Days More

Filmmaker John Greyson and doctor Tarek Loubani are going to stay in Egyptian prison for 45 days more.

Both Canadians have already been detained in Egypt for 6 weeks now. Still, there is no immediate possibility to end their woes in the foreign country.

According to Cecilia Greyson, the sister of the filmmaker, members of the family were suffering more anxiety because both Canadian detainees were on a hunger strike for 13 days. Their hunger strike is a means of disapproving their unethical arrest.

Lawyers, on the other hand, appealed in court to free both men. There is an expected possibility of a more transparent decision in the near future. Meanwhile, Mr Greyson and Dr Loubani issued a statement on Saturday explaining their stand. They said that they were on their way to the hotel when they were captured by the police and beaten.

They also mentioned in the statement that they had gone to watch the violent protest in Cairo, which took place close to their hotel. They added that they had witnessed several protesters being viciously murdered. After watching the bloodbath, they were in a mood to have ice cream. When they were trying to move through a roadblock by the police, they got arrested.

In the meantime, the Canadian government expressed its disappointment over the extension of the detention. Mr Greyson and Dr Loubani are kept in Tora prison in Cairo, which is accused to be one of the most notorious prisons in the country. Lynne Yelich, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, released a statement which urged the Egyptian government to release them as there was no "confirmation of the charges" set against them.

Egyptian officials, who are backed by the military, still maintain their stand of accusing the Canadians of plotting a conspiracy attack in a police station.

(Video courtesy: YouTube/CUTV)