A Toronto-area resident who joined what he thought would be a peaceful protest in Egypt has been killed.
Amr Kassem, a 24-year-old permanent resident of Canada, was shot and killed during a protest in Alexandria, his brother-in-law, Ibraheem Hussein, told 麻豆影视 Channel Friday.
Kassem and his wife, parents to an eight-month-old daughter, were visiting family in Egypt for the summer when violent clashes broke out in the country.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that a permanent Canadian resident has been killed in Egypt. It would only say that it has extended consular assistance to the family.
Hussein said Kassem went to what he described as a peaceful demonstration in Alexandria on Friday to protest recent civilian deaths across Egypt.
When Kassem鈥檚 worried wife, who is a Canadian citizen, called his cellphone to check on him, he told her everything was fine.
Half an hour later, she received a call from Kassem鈥檚 phone. But it was a stranger on the other line, telling her that someone needed to come and pick up her husband鈥檚 body, Hussein said.
Kassem鈥檚 father and brother, both doctors, examined his body and concluded that he was shot by a sniper in the back of his neck, Hussein said.
鈥淭he angle was such that it looked like it was (fired) from a rooftop,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ssentially, people aren鈥檛 really able to defend themselves鈥hey鈥檙e just out there protesting and they鈥檙e being picked off like animals.鈥�
Violent clashes have resulted in hundreds of deaths across Egypt as Muslim Brotherhood-led supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi demand that the leader be reinstated.
The Egyptian military launched a deadly crackdown on such protests and sit-ins, authorizing deadly force to remove demonstrators and dismantle their camps.
On Friday, the Muslim Brotherhood declared a 鈥淒ay of Rage,鈥� which saw civilians and security forces face off on the streets.
Kassem had no political affiliations in Egypt, but went to the protest in Alexandria because he was 鈥減ro-justice and pro-democracy,鈥� Hussein said.
鈥淚 just can鈥檛 image how my sister feels,鈥� he said.
Kassem had worked as a pharmacist in Egypt and was working toward getting a master鈥檚 degree in Canada, Hussein said. He was also working on obtaining his Canadian citizenship, the brother-in-law said.
Hussein said he鈥檚 speaking out about his family鈥檚 tragedy because he wants to raise awareness about the dire situation in Egypt.
