An American translator detained in Cairo since last Wednesday was released from police custody on Sunday afternoon, while his roommate filmmaker Hossam Meneai was ordered to be held an additional 15 days pending investigation.
Meneai, 36, a native of El-Arish in North Sinai, is being investigated on charges of spreading false news and disrupting public order, according to his lawyer Ahmed El-Sandabasy. El-Sandabasy said that state security authorities were inspecting the content of videos and images discovered on Meneai’s laptop.
According to a press release published on the English-language news site Egypt Independent, Meneai’s latest project was a documentary on the Coptic Church for Russian state television.
Jeremy Hodge, 26, works in Cairo as a freelance Arabic to English translator, and had recently worked for corruption watchdog Transparency International.
The pair was arrested from their shared apartment in Dokki late Wednesday evening by state security. The location of their detention remained unknown until Saturday afternoon.
