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The Middle East Studies Association has sent a letter to Egyptian authorities protesting the detention and arrest in Cairo of Waleed Khalil el-Sayed Salem, a University of Washington Ph.D. student. The association's letter states that Salem was conducting important research at the time on the interaction of judges and lawyers in Egypt. "Mr. Salem is a young scholar, but he has already established a reputation among those who know him for the serious and scholarly nature of his work," the letter said. The Seattle Times reported that Salem's lawyers said he was facing charges of "spreading fake news" and of ties to a terrorist group -- charges they said were false.
The embassy of Egypt did not respond to a request for comment.
A University of Washington spokesman, asked for comment, sent the following via email: "I cannot provide or confirm any information on this individual. However, in a case such as this one, our paramount interest is the safety of any member of our community, whether student, faculty or staff. The university would do everything in its power to contact the appropriate authorities in an effort to advocate for and protect a student. We would, of course, issue a statement if and when we believe it would serve this interest."
