American Aid Workers Imprisoned in Egypt are Released
- Updated Apr 21, 2017
An American woman and her Egyptian husband who were aid workers in Egypt and were imprisoned over allegations of child abuse and trafficking have been released and have arrived back in the U.S.
The Washington Examiner reports that Aya Hijazi and Mohamed Hassanein had been imprisoned in Egypt for three years.
President Trump has reportedly been influential in securing the couple’s release. Hijazi and Hassanein waited in prison while the Obama administration carried out unsuccessful negotiations for their release.
A family member of the couple even credited Trump with “personally” stepping in to secure the couple’s safe return to the U.S. They arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Thursday.
"It's been a roller coaster of emotions the past couple of days," Hijazi's brother, Basel, told the Washington Post. "We're very grateful that President Trump personally engaged with the issue. Working closely with the Trump administration was very important for my family at this critical time. It let us be reunited as a family. We're so grateful."
Trump hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Sissi at the White House on Sunday, and the release of the American couple was reportedly part of that talk.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: April 21, 2017
