US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Sunday expressed to President Fattah al-Sisi his outrage at the death of a US citizen in prison in Egypt, a death that the American top diplomat branded as “pointless and tragic”. Pompeo made the complaint following the death of Mustafa Kassem, 54. The State Department in a statement said Pompeo raised his concerns to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about Kassem’s “pointless and tragic death”. He was later sentenced to 15 years in jail for attending the “illegal” protest. The US citizen denied any wrongdoing and started a hunger strike last year.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 20, 2020 17:03 UTC