News from the people’s perspective

Rally to Free Egyptian Journalist Mohamed Soltan

Omar Soltan in front of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC/Photo by Rob Brune
Omar Soltan at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC/Photo by Rob Brune

The video below features Omar Soltan, the brother of Mohamed Soltan, a journalist, translator and aide to media organizations such as al-Jazeera. The Egyptian government jailed Soltan after the Muslim Brotherhood uprising in Egypt this past summer. Because he is the son of a well-known Muslim Brotherhood figure, he remains in confinement.

On April 29, protesters rallied in front of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC because U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and business leaders were to meet with the Egyptian Foreign Minister of Affairs. The protesters called for the release of Mohamed Soltan.

Mohamed Soltan has been on hunger strike for 92 days. Friends and family maintain that Mohamed is not an advocate of violence. He is described as “a peaceful person and strongly committed to non-violence and social justice” on his Facebook support page.