Egypt added setting fire to police stations to the list of charges faced by
American-Israeli law student Ilan Grapel, who has been detained in Cairo since
June on suspicion of spying for Jerusalem, state-run Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram
reported on Monday.
The state reportedly accused Grapel of throwing fire
bombs at police headquarters at the Egyptian Interior Ministry in the wake of
Egypt’s January revolution, based on witness statements. The charges are in
addition to espionage.
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US and Israeli officials, and Grapel’s family and
friends, have dismissed allegations of espionage as “absurd,” and say the
27-year-old Emory University law student traveled to Egypt to volunteer with an
organization aiding African refugees.
Grapel’s parents were allowed to
visit him for the first time late last month, along with US Consul-General to
Egypt, Robert Powers.
He served in the IDF and was wounded in the Second
Lebanon War, an incident that was well publicized.
An Egyptian court
ruled to extend the remand of Grapel by 45 days on September 14, Al-Ahram
reported.
Grapel was arrested at his downtown Cairo hotel by Egyptian
state security officers in June on suspicion of working for Israeli intelligence
to foment sectarian strife and gather intelligence on post-revolution
Egypt.
Oren Kessler contributed to this report.