As fears for the safety of Tarek Loubani and John Greyson, two detained Canadian men, spread following their arrest in Egypt, a petition on Change.org started by their friends and family has gone viral with over 40,000 signatures. The petition was the fastest-growing Canadian petition on the site, gaining over 10,000 signatures this morning alone, and was 3rd most popular petition on Change.org globally this week.
Justin Podur, one of the petition organizers and a long-time friend of Loubani and Greyson’s who received the call from Loubani as he and Greyson were arrested, believes the Canadian Government must do more to secure his friends’ release.
“We’ve heard the Prime Minister and Minister Baird express their concern, and I know they are working to find out why my friends were arrested, but concern isn’t enough,” said Podur. “Friends, family and the signers of our petition on Change.org want to see the Government actually demand Tarek and John’s immediate release. 15 days can easily roll over into another 15 days, and so on. My friends have been unfairly targeted, and it seems clear that the Egyptian Government intends to make bogus allegations in order to justify ongoing imprisonment.”
Friends and family have also secured the services of the Shalakany Law Office in Cairo. “We are very concerned about the two Canadian detainees, and will exert our best efforts on their behalf,” said senior and managing partner Khaled El Shalakany.
While no information regarding the exact reason for Loubani or Greyson’s arrest has been released, friends of the two men learned yesterday that an Egyptian prosecutor has ordered the two men to be held for 15 days while prosecutors investigate.