Police in Egypt release US citizen detained without charges as filmmaker still being held

1/26/2014
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAIRO — An American translator who was being held by Egyptian police without charges says he is free and plans to travel to the U.S. soon.

Jeremy Hodge, a 26 year old from Los Angeles, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he still doesn’t know why he was arrested and held. Hodge and his roommate, 36-year-old Egyptian filmmaker Hossam Eddin el-Meneai, were arrested late Wednesday at their apartment in the Dokki neighborhood of Cairo.

Hodge says Meneai remains in custody. He says he is worried for his roommate’s safety, having heard police roughly interrogate Meneai and try to link him with terrorist groups from the lawless Sinai Peninsula.

Hodge says police officers also punched, kicked and beat Meneai with sticks in his presence.