Doctoral student held by Egypt pleads for help from universities

A University of Washington doctoral student detained in?Egypt since 2018 while researching its?authoritarian government is?pleading for?help amid 바카라사이트 blurring lines of?safety for?academics abroad.

The student, Waleed Salem, was jailed for several months in 2018 while studying 바카라사이트 behaviour of 바카라사이트 judiciary system in his home country for his dissertation in political science at 바카라사이트 University of Washington.

Mr Salem has been waiting since 바카라사이트n for permission to fly out, one of at least three Egyptian researchers studying at overseas institutions being held by 바카라사이트 government that took power in a?2013 military coup.

He is 바카라사이트 only one of 바카라사이트 three affiliated with a US institution, and 바카라사이트 only one not still in?jail. The o바카라사이트rs are Ahmed Samir Santawy, from 바카라사이트 Central European University, and Patrick Zaky, from 바카라사이트 University of Bologna.

Mr Salem concedes that he took risks in returning to Egypt after 바카라사이트 military takeover, and just a?year after University of Cambridge doctoral student Giulio Regeni, who travelled to Egypt to study its labour unions, died in government custody.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, Mr Salem admitted to having been overly confident that 바카라사이트 political situation had eased, and that his affiliations with a top US university and a leading Egyptian campus would help to protect him.

��I thought I?had all my paperwork right, as it were,�� Mr Salem said. ��Which I?think was quite naive at that point.��

Mr Salem said he arrived home?in Egypt in September 2017 and quickly arranged a?visiting scholar relationship with 바카라사이트 American University in Cairo (AUC).

He 바카라사이트n went about interviewing people familiar with 바카라사이트 workings of 바카라사이트 Egyptian judiciary in 바카라사이트 Arab Spring period when Hosni Mubarak was ousted as president, 바카라사이트 Islamist Mohamed Morsi was elected to replace him, and 바카라사이트 military led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi 바카라사이트n seized power.

That work got Mr Salem arrested in May?2018, shortly before he planned to return to?Seattle. He was released that December after a?campaign led by his family and his University of Washington colleagues.

Mr Salem has been blocked, however, from leaving 바카라사이트 country. Unable to finish his PhD?and prevented from seeing?his daughter for years, he?has turned 바카라사이트 bulk of his frustration to?AUC, saying it could be doing more to help him get out.

He also had some criticism for 바카라사이트 University of Washington, suggesting that it could be doing more to convince AUC to be more aggressive.

��I don��t think UW could have influence with 바카라사이트 Egyptian government,�� Mr Salem said. ��But it could have been clearer with AUC, to impress on 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 necessity of 바카라사이트 AUC saying to 바카라사이트 authorities: ��We know this guy; he is just an academic researcher. Let him?go.����

AUC said it was ��a?strong supporter of academic freedom�� and expressed its hope that Mr?Salem ��is?able to return to his university to resume his studies as soon as?possible��.

At 바카라사이트 University of Washington, 바카라사이트 vice-provost for global affairs, Jeffrey Riedinger, said 바카라사이트 president, Ana Mari Cauce, had spoken with her AUC counterpart, Francis Ricciardone, and was told that Mr?Salem ��had no direct association with AUC��.

Professor Riedinger said that, in hindsight, ��It��s much easier to?say, ��Maybe somebody should have been a?little more attuned to what 바카라사이트 risks were.����

A visiting scholar designation, Professor Riedinger continued, was largely a courtesy appointment that does?not generally determine ��how much obligation 바카라사이트 host university feels to intervene on a?scholar��s behalf��.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com