Congress urges Trump to sanction Egypt for American’s death after he pleaded for help – By Conor Finnegan (ABC News) / Jan 15 2020
Mustafa Kassem, father of two and NYC taxi driver, pleaded for Trump’s help.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers mourned the death of U.S. citizen Mustafa Kassem — who died in Egyptian prison after being imprisoned for over six years on trumped up charges — and they demanded the Trump administration impose sanctions on Egyptian officials as punishment.
The Trump administration was accused by some members for abandoning Kassem, who made multiple pleas for President Donald Trump to secure his freedom from Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi.
“The White House refused to use its leverage to obtain his release. Instead, Trump has called President el-Sisi a ‘great friend’ and his ‘favorite dictator.’ That is as appalling as it is insulting to the families of President Sisi’s victims,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
“There is no excuse for what happened in this situation. … It’s an absolute disgrace,” said Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., who was Kassem’s representative and advocated for his release.
“Egypt needs us more than we need them,” said King, calling for a review of U.S. aid and the implementation of sanctions.
Continue to article: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/congress-urges-trump-sanction-egypt-americans-death-pleaded/story?id=68307576&cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed
