A total of 113 Egyptians have been held in the US since the September 11 attacks until late December, said an Egyptian official.
Mohamed Abbas, the assistant foreign minister for consular and Egyptian expatriate affairs, was quoted by the Egyptian Gazette as saying that 24 Egyptians were released. Citing a report the ministry has recently received, the official said that 37 others had been ordered deported or to leave the US voluntarily. "But these rulings have yet to be enforced," said Abbas.
He added that during a recent meeting, officials at the Egyptian embassy in Washington had asked US authorities to expedite investigations with Egyptians still in detention. Abbas urged Egyptian families in the US and at home to inform the foreign ministry of names of persons who might be in custody in the US so as to follow up on their cases. (Albawaba.com)
