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Canadians in Egypt return to prison after lawyer misses meeting

Canadians in Egypt return to prison after lawyer misses meeting

Two Canadians being help in Egypt who were supposed to meet with lawyers on Thursday, with the possibility they would be released, will return to prison for at least another day after prosecutors failed to appear.

Doctor Tarek Loubani and filmmaker John Greyson have been held in a Cairo prison for 13 days after being arrested at a police station after a curfew imposed amid deadly protests.

Canadian officials believe they were asking direction to their hotel, but the Egyptian government has lumped the two in with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and claim they were protesting against the government.

They have not been charged, and it was believed Thursday's appearance could have ended with their release.

[ Related: Prosecutor a no-show as two Canadians arrested in Egypt ]

"After waiting the entire day outside the prison, and with curfew approaching, our lawyers had to leave as the prosecutor had not arrived by the end of the day," writes Justin Podur, a friend of the pair who has been leading a campaign to secure their release.

"Tarek and John remain in prison. No word has come about rescheduling their appearance before the prosecutor. No other hearings took place, including for other prisoners who were up for their appearances before the prosecutor.

"We do not yet know if the detention order is being extended and have not heard news concerning the next scheduled appearance."

The Canadian government has been in contact with Greyson and Loubani and has petitioned for their release.

[ More Brew: Canadians in Egypt arrested while asking police for directions ]

Junior foreign affairs minister Lynne Yelich said in a statement:

Canada remains deeply concerned about the cases of Dr. Loubani and Mr. Greyson and we are disappointed that the hearing scheduled for today did not take place.

We continue to work at the highest levels to confirm the specific charges against Dr. Loubani and Mr. Greyson. As we have not yet received confirmation of the charges, the Government of Canada calls for their release.

A lawyer representing Greyson and Loubani in Egypt has explained that they are being held on a detention order, which means they can be detained for 15 days before charges must be laid.

The government can, however, roll that detention order into a second round. This suggests that if prosecutors do not lay charges or release the pair in the next few days, they could face another 15-day stint.

So while the prosecutor’s sudden absence on Thursday may not be malicious, it is troubling with deadlines approaching and two Canadians still behind bars.

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