The US State Department has identified the American student
killed in Egyptian riots as Andrew Pochter, 21, of Chevy Chase, Maryland. He
was stabbed by a protester Friday, according to reports. Another man, an Egyptian,
was also killed.
He was in Alexandria to teach English and improve his
Arabic, according to his family.
"He went to Egypt because he cared profoundly about the
Middle East, and he planned to live and work there in the pursuit of peace and
understanding," Pochter's family said in the statement. “Andrew was a
wonderful young man looking for new experiences in the world and finding ways
to share his talents while he learned. Andrew cared deeply about his family and
his friends."
Pochter had been working in Egypt as an intern at American
educational non-profit AMIDEAST, according to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
The State Department said Saturday it did not have
information on the circumstances surrounding Pochter's death, but the family
said: "As we understand it, he was witnessing the protest as a bystander
and was stabbed by a protester."
At Kenyon College, Pochter had served as a leader of the
campus Hillel Jewish organization, according to student newspaper The Kenyon
Collegian.
His family said he had planned to study in Jordan in the
spring. Pochter's roommate in Alexandria told ABC News Pochter had been in the
city since “at least the beginning of June.”
According to reports in Egyptian news sources, Pochter had
been taking pictures of riots when he was stabbed. The initial reports said he
was a journalist.
No comments:
Post a Comment