Mike Penceâs Egypt Trip Gives Glimmer of Hope to Advocates of American Political Prisoners
Eman Kassem
Penceâs remarks  which marked the first time a White House official has publicly raised the plight of jailed Egyptian-Americans  were a positive sign for the families of  Kassem  and Etiwy  though Pence did not mention the other 18 Americans in jail  nor did he bring up the plight of two American green card holders being held in solitary confinement.
Their efforts seemed to have worked. Pence told reporters that he brought up the cases of  Kassem  and Ahmed Etiwy  another imprisoned American  during his talk with Sisi. âSisi assured meâ that he would give âvery serious attentionâ to those cases  Pence said.
 Kassem  also spoke out from  his  jail cell before Pence arrived. In a handwritten letter smuggled out of prison   Kassem  wrote to President Donald Trump that all  he  longs for is âto be reunited with my children back in New Yorkâ â a âdream of reunion that is many times interrupted with the grim reality of my prison cell and screams of torture in a faint distance.â The letter was sent to the White House on January 18.
For the past four years  the Kassem family has had to learn how to fight for Moustafa without the help of their government. That battle started on August 14  2013  the last time the Kassem family saw Moustafa for 20 days. After he was arrested   Kassem  disappeared into the black hole of Egyptâs prison system until  his  family  after calling Egyptian officials around the country  located him in Abu Zaabal prison  north of Cairo. When Ahmed  his brother-in-law  visited him  he said he could not recognize  Kassem  because of how badly  he  had been beaten by jail officers.
According to family members   Kassem  has skin cancer and diabetes  and  his  health is deteriorating.
âIâm so afraid that  he  will get worse and worse  and I donât know whatâs going to happen â said  Eman Kassem  Moustafa Kassemâs sister .
Over four years later  however   Kassem  has not been convicted.  His  trial has been delayed over 40 times. And  his  lawyer says Egyptian prosecutors have presented no specific evidence tying  him  to the crimes  he  is charged with â a common defect of these mass trials.
As  Kassem  spends  his  days in Tora prison in southern Cairo  where  he  was transferred about seven months into  his  detention   his  family and advocates are busy trying to get the attention of lawmakers and  most importantly  the White House.
According to Ahmed   Kassem  was routinely beaten up in jail during the beginning of  his  detention in an effort to make  him  confess to the charges. Even more dangerously for Kassem   his  insulin pump was taken away when  he  was first arrested.  Kassem  managed to survive for the first few months by eating little and taking sugar control pills that jail officers allowed in.
The family  however  has managed to stop the abuse and get  Kassem  medical help  thanks to their communication with Rep. Peter King  R-N.Y.  Kassemâs representative in Congress. As soon as Ahmed got back to New York  in September 2013   he  got in touch with Kingâs office. Staffers there  in turn  contacted the U.S. embassy in Cairo about  Kassem âs situation. About five months after  Kassem  was arrested  U.S. officials brought  Kassem   his  insulin pump  according to Ahmed. The U.S. embassyâs involvement also seems to have halted the beatings.
Embassy officials have continued to monitor Kassemâs case. âThe Department of State takes seriously its responsibilities to assist U.S. citizens abroad â a State Department official told The Intercept  speaking anonymously in keeping with department protocol. âWe are aware of media reports on the arrest of  Mustafa Kassem  in Egypt. When a U.S. citizen is detained overseas  the Department works to provide all appropriate consular assistance.â
In recent months  Soltan worked with the office of Sen. John McCain  R-Ariz.  to bring attention to the plight of  Kassem  and Ahmed Etiwy  another Egyptian-American arrested in August 2013. McCain sent a letter to Trump in August  writing that the imprisonment of Etiwy âseems to be part of a troubling crackdown on independent voices across Egypt over the past several years.â McCain  a critic of Egyptian authoritarianism  also raised  Kassemâs  case in an accompanying statement.
On the other hand  Democratic New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand  who represent  Kassem  and Etiwyâs mothers  have been publically silent on the cases. Praveen Madhiraju  the U.S. lawyer for  Kassem  and Etiwy  has briefed their staffs  but the senators have not made any statements. (Schumer and Gillibrandâs offices did not return requests for comment.)
To get  Kassem  and the other Egyptian-Americans out of jail now  the families need more than a congressional intervention. They need the White House to intervene on a sustained basis.
Penceâs remarks  which marked the first time a White House official has publicly raised the plight of jailed Egyptian-Americans  were a positive sign for the families of  Kassem  and Etiwy  though Pence did not mention the other 18 Americans in jail  nor did he bring up the plight of two American green card holders being held in solitary confinement.
Their efforts seemed to have worked. Pence told reporters that he brought up the cases of  Kassem  and Ahmed Etiwy  another imprisoned American  during his talk with Sisi. âSisi assured meâ that he would give âvery serious attentionâ to those cases  Pence said.
 Kassem  also spoke out from  his  jail cell before Pence arrived. In a handwritten letter smuggled out of prison   Kassem  wrote to President Donald Trump that all  he  longs for is âto be reunited with my children back in New Yorkâ â a âdream of reunion that is many times interrupted with the grim reality of my prison cell and screams of torture in a faint distance.â The letter was sent to the White House on January 18.
For the past four years  the Kassem family has had to learn how to fight for Moustafa without the help of their government. That battle started on August 14  2013  the last time the Kassem family saw Moustafa for 20 days. After he was arrested   Kassem  disappeared into the black hole of Egyptâs prison system until  his  family  after calling Egyptian officials around the country  located him in Abu Zaabal prison  north of Cairo. When Ahmed  his brother-in-law  visited him  he said he could not recognize  Kassem  because of how badly  he  had been beaten by jail officers.
According to family members   Kassem  has skin cancer and diabetes  and  his  health is deteriorating.
âIâm so afraid that  he  will get worse and worse  and I donât know whatâs going to happen â said   [TGT]   Moustafa Kassemâs sister .
Over four years later  however   Kassem  has not been convicted.  His  trial has been delayed over 40 times. And  his  lawyer says Egyptian prosecutors have presented no specific evidence tying  him  to the crimes  he  is charged with â a common defect of these mass trials.
As  Kassem  spends  his  days in Tora prison in southern Cairo  where  he  was transferred about seven months into  his  detention   his  family and advocates are busy trying to get the attention of lawmakers and  most importantly  the White House.
According to Ahmed   Kassem  was routinely beaten up in jail during the beginning of  his  detention in an effort to make  him  confess to the charges. Even more dangerously for Kassem   his  insulin pump was taken away when  he  was first arrested.  Kassem  managed to survive for the first few months by eating little and taking sugar control pills that jail officers allowed in.
The family  however  has managed to stop the abuse and get  Kassem  medical help  thanks to their communication with Rep. Peter King  R-N.Y.  Kassemâs representative in Congress. As soon as Ahmed got back to New York  in September 2013   he  got in touch with Kingâs office. Staffers there  in turn  contacted the U.S. embassy in Cairo about  Kassem âs situation. About five months after  Kassem  was arrested  U.S. officials brought  Kassem   his  insulin pump  according to Ahmed. The U.S. embassyâs involvement also seems to have halted the beatings.
Embassy officials have continued to monitor Kassemâs case. âThe Department of State takes seriously its responsibilities to assist U.S. citizens abroad â a State Department official told The Intercept  speaking anonymously in keeping with department protocol. âWe are aware of media reports on the arrest of  Mustafa Kassem  in Egypt. When a U.S. citizen is detained overseas  the Department works to provide all appropriate consular assistance.â
In recent months  Soltan worked with the office of Sen. John McCain  R-Ariz.  to bring attention to the plight of  Kassem  and Ahmed Etiwy  another Egyptian-American arrested in August 2013. McCain sent a letter to Trump in August  writing that the imprisonment of Etiwy âseems to be part of a troubling crackdown on independent voices across Egypt over the past several years.â McCain  a critic of Egyptian authoritarianism  also raised  Kassemâs  case in an accompanying statement.
On the other hand  Democratic New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand  who represent  Kassem  and Etiwyâs mothers  have been publically silent on the cases. Praveen Madhiraju  the U.S. lawyer for  Kassem  and Etiwy  has briefed their staffs  but the senators have not made any statements. (Schumer and Gillibrandâs offices did not return requests for comment.)
To get  Kassem  and the other Egyptian-Americans out of jail now  the families need more than a congressional intervention. They need the White House to intervene on a sustained basis.