4 years on, Egyptian lives shattered by coup

VIRGINIA, USA - OCTOBER 28: Mohamed Soltan (C), an Egyptian-American human rights Advocate who was a political prisoner in Egypt from August, 2013 to May, 2015 plays basketball in Virginia, United States on October 28, 2015. Mohamed was shot, imprisoned, tortured, and sentenced to life in prison on trumped-up and politically motivated charges. The U.S. government intervened at the highest levels and successfully facilitated his release and return to the United States on 31 May 2015. He stated that I tried forgetting the feeling of guilt that I was taking up the time and effort of the doctors in the makeshift hospital for a minor bullet wound when others, who are critically injured, needed their attention. I tried forgetting the pain I walked around with after getting the wound stitched up or the sound of bullets for 11 straight hours. I tried forgetting the smell of death, the rusty iron smell of blood and the smoky sharp smell of gunpowder as I laid on the floor unable to move, feeling debilitated, hopeless and helpless unable to scream or even utter a cry for help, just waiting for the bullet that missed my head to take me far away from that bloody war zone. I tried forgetting being shot at while running back to the hospital hours later to try and take refuge in a place that is suppose to have some sanctity. I tried forgetting the feeling of suffocation as a ton of people like me got shoved into the hospital. I tried forgetting the broken smile on little Ali's face as he sat next to me on his injured dad's lap, gasping for air. I tried forgetting Ali's dad twisting his wrist holding the makeshift paper fan he was using to air his suffocating son so he could do the same for me. I tried forgetting drifting in and out of consciousness as tear gas was shot inside crowded room full of injured people. I tried forgetting being in excruciating pain and suffocating at the same time. I tried forgetting being told that a safe exit was negotiated 11 hours later, but it was every man/woman for him/her self, no injured bodies carried, no belongings. I tried to forget the feeling of walking out in the first safe exit, ducking the bullets shot over our heads intentionally so that we could be filmed on camera walking out with our heads down, walking through lines of officers, bodies everywhere we turned. (Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
VIRGINIA, USA - OCTOBER 28: Mohamed Soltan (C), an Egyptian-American human rights Advocate who was a political prisoner in Egypt from August, 2013 to May, 2015 plays basketball in Virginia, United States on October 28, 2015. Mohamed was shot, imprisoned, tortured, and sentenced to life in prison on trumped-up and politically motivated charges. The U.S. government intervened at the highest levels and successfully facilitated his release and return to the United States on 31 May 2015. He stated that I tried forgetting the feeling of guilt that I was taking up the time and effort of the doctors in the makeshift hospital for a minor bullet wound when others, who are critically injured, needed their attention. I tried forgetting the pain I walked around with after getting the wound stitched up or the sound of bullets for 11 straight hours. I tried forgetting the smell of death, the rusty iron smell of blood and the smoky sharp smell of gunpowder as I laid on the floor unable to move, feeling debilitated, hopeless and helpless unable to scream or even utter a cry for help, just waiting for the bullet that missed my head to take me far away from that bloody war zone. I tried forgetting being shot at while running back to the hospital hours later to try and take refuge in a place that is suppose to have some sanctity. I tried forgetting the feeling of suffocation as a ton of people like me got shoved into the hospital. I tried forgetting the broken smile on little Ali's face as he sat next to me on his injured dad's lap, gasping for air. I tried forgetting Ali's dad twisting his wrist holding the makeshift paper fan he was using to air his suffocating son so he could do the same for me. I tried forgetting drifting in and out of consciousness as tear gas was shot inside crowded room full of injured people. I tried forgetting being in excruciating pain and suffocating at the same time. I tried forgetting being told that a safe exit was negotiated 11 hours later, but it was every man/woman for him/her self, no injured bodies carried, no belongings. I tried to forget the feeling of walking out in the first safe exit, ducking the bullets shot over our heads intentionally so that we could be filmed on camera walking out with our heads down, walking through lines of officers, bodies everywhere we turned. (Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
4 years on, Egyptian lives shattered by coup
PURCHASE A LICENSE
How can I use this image?
$499.00
USD

DETAILS

Restrictions:
Contact your local office for all commercial or promotional uses.
Credit:
Anadolu / Contributor
Editorial #:
830732920
Collection:
Anadolu
Date created:
August 12, 2017
Upload date:
License type:
Release info:
Not released. More information
Source:
Anadolu
Object name:
AA_12082017_576990
Max file size:
6708 x 4477 px (22.36 x 14.92 in) - 300 dpi - 3 MB