[20200204]IN11216_埃及：美国公民之死与国会反应.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Egypt: Death of American Citizen and Congressional Response Jeremy M. Sharp Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs February 4, 2020 Overview On January 13, 2020, Mustafa Kassem, a dual U.S.-Egyptian citizen who had been detained in Egypt since 2013, died of heart failure in an Egyptian prison after a two-year hunger strike. The Egyptian government has defended its treatment of Kassem, claiming that he received adequate medical care and legal rights. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo called Kassems death “pointless and tragic.” Some Members of Congress had long been concerned for Kassem, arguing that Egyptian authorities unlawfully detained and wrongfully convicted him. Kassems death has upset some in Congress, sparking condemnations of the Egyptian government and calls for sanctions on Egyptian officials. Other lawmakers may be hesitant to advocate punitive action against the Egyptian government based, at least in part, on concern for preserving long-standing U.S.-Egyptian security cooperation. Nevertheless, the Kassem case presents an example of how the treatment of U.S. residents and/or citizens by aut