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1 1 (February 4, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govbhzv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Researh Sevice Egypt: Death of American Citizen and Congressional Response February 4, 2020 Overview On January 13, 2020, Mustafa Kassem, a dual U.S.-Egyptian citizen who had been detained in Egypt since 2013, died of heart failure in an Egyptian prison after a two-year hunger strike. The Egyptian government has defended its treatment of Kassem, claiming that he received adequate medical care and legal fights. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo called Kassem's death pointless and tragic. Some Members of Congress had long been concerned for Kassem, arguing that Egyptian authorities unlawfully detained and wrongfully convicted him. Kassem's death has upset some in Congress, sparking condemnations of the Egyptian government and calls for sanctions on Egyptian officials. Other lawmakers may be hesitant to advocate punitive action against the Egyptian government based, at least in part, on concern for preserving longstanding U.S.-Egyptian security cooperation. Nevertheless, the Kassem case presents an example of how the treatment of U.S. resident and/or citizens by authoritarian regimes can create challenges for U.S. policymakers seeking to preserve security cooperation while upholding human rights principles and legal responsibilities. Since the Egyptian military deposed late president Mohamed Morsi's government in 2013, authorities have cracked down on most dissent in a campaign that has, at times, led to the detainment of U.S. citizens who either have participated in anti-government protests or have been innocent bystanders. Like prior Administrations, the Trump Administration has been committed to securing the release of American political prisoners and hostages abroad, and Kassem's death has raised questions over whether the Administration or Congress might take punitive measures against Egypt. Background and Legal Issues Mustafa Kassem was detained in 2013 during a family visit to Egypt. Police arrested him while nearby authorities forcibly dispersed anti-government sit-ins in Cairo that led to the deaths of over 800 people. After five years of pre-trial detention, Kassem was convicted of trying to overthrow the Egyptian government and was sentenced to 15 years in prison at a mass trial. Kassem had diabetes and a heart Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11216 CRS NStGHT Prepaimed for Mernbei-s and Committees 4 o. C- --q .. . . . . . . . ...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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