A US citizen detained in Egyptian prison was found dead Sunday after he was arrested more than a month for breaking curfew, official news agency MENA reported.
James Henry, 55, a retired US army officer, was found dead at noon at Ismailia Awal police station after he used his belt and shoe laces to hang himself, the reported said.
The US embassy in Cairo confirmed that the US citizen died from "an apparent suicide" and it was in contact with the Egyptian authorities.
Henry was arrested by the Egyptian army on Aug. 28 in Sheikh Zuwaid city bordering Israel due to sneaking into North Sinai governorate, local security source told Xinhua.
The official sources announced later that the US citizen, carrying some documents, data and maps about Sinai, was detained for violating the curfew hours.
An official from the US embassy has visited the prisoner on Oct. 8, and asserted that Henry was in good conditions, MENA added.
Henry's death came a day after he was told that authorities extended his preventative detention by another 30 days.
The prosecutor general, Hesham Barakat, ordered to open an immediate investigation, to accurately determine the reasons behind the death.
In an official statement, the Egyptian Interior Ministry announced that the prisoner committed suicide by hanging himself on the bath's door of his cell.
簡明釋義：詹姆斯·亨利， 55歲的美國退役陸軍軍官，中午被發現死在埃及伊斯梅利亞阿瓦尒派出所，他用他的皮帶和鞋帶上吊******************。美國駐開羅大使館証實，死亡的美國公民是死於一個明顯的******************。
