9 British students urged to leave Egypt after 2 detained

CAIRO – Britain’s Edinburgh University says two of its students studying in Cairo were recently detained and subsequently released by Egyptian authorities.

According to a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Friday by the university’s press office, all nine of its students in the city were urged to return home. The statement said the university had concerns for their safety and well-being.

It wasn’t clear when the detentions took place but since Sept. 20 anti-government protests, several foreigners have been detained, released and deported amid an unprecedented crackdown in which more than 2,900 people have been arrested.

Academic freedom in Egypt was put in question after the 2016 abduction, torture and killing of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, who was researching trade unions in Egypt.