US citizen found dead in Egyptian cell
Officials say James Henry, 55, hanged himself; American was arrested in August for curfew violation
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An American imprisoned in Egypt was found hanged in his cell Sunday in the city of Ismailiya. Egyptian officials believe that James Henry, 55, committed suicide, AFP reported. His body was found by authorities at noon.
Henry had been detained for violating a curfew in the northern Sinai Peninsula, on the road to the city of Rafah from el-Arish. The curfew, enforced in 14 governorates, was in place nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Henry told Egyptian security forces at the time of his arrest that he was headed to the Gaza Strip.
Al-Ahram reported that Henry lived alone in an apartment in the northern Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwayed.
On Saturday, Egyptian authorities informed Henry that his detention was being extended by another 30 days. Last week, US Embassy personnel visited Henry in his cell.
Henry wasn’t the only Westerner detained during the riots that swept the country around the ouster of president Muhammed Morsi. Two Canadians — filmmaker John Greyson and physician Tarek Loubani — were barred from leaving Egypt following weeks of imprisonment without charges.
The two returned to Canada on Friday.
Egypt lifted a travel ban for the men on Thursday. The pair weren’t allowed to board a plane after they were released from jail Sunday. Greyson and Loubani had been held without charges since August 15, when they were arrested while observing a demonstration in support of Morsi in which the Canadians said they saw at least 50 protesters killed.
The Times of Israel Community.