Mohamed Soltan
Mohamed Soltan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mohamed Soltan 16 November 1987 |
| Education | Master of Science in Foreign Service, Bachelor of Science in Economics |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University, Ohio State University |
| Known for | human rights, activism, politics, Egypt |
| Parent | Salah Sultan |
| Website | https://mohamedsoltan.com, https://twitter.com/soltan, https://www.facebook.com/Soltanlife/ |
Mohamed Soltan (Arabic: محمد سلطان, born 16 November 1987) is an Egyptian American human rights advocate and former political prisoner in Egypt.
He co-founded and leads the Freedom Initiative, a U.S.-based human rights organization whose mission is "to bring international attention to the plight of political prisoners in the Middle East and advocate for their release."
The Freedom Initiative emerged from the global #FreeSoltan activist movement that campaigned for Soltan's release from unjust imprisonment in Egypt, where he was detained from August 2013 to May 2015 after protesting against the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. During and just after the coup, Soltan was shot, imprisoned, tortured, and sentenced to life in prison.
After 643 days imprisoned, including 489 on hunger strike demanding his release, Soltan was freed to go to the United States. His release came after appeals for his freedom from the Obama White House, Senator John McCain and other U.S. leaders.