Egypt Detains American ‘Spy’

An American law student was detained by Egyptian authorities and charged with spying for Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, reports the New York Post.

Emory Law School student Ilan Grapel, 27, was arrested while volunteering for a refugee relocation organization. Authorities insist he had been trying to spark protests against the military.

"He called us late last night. He told us he was being detained. That he was OK and they were treating him well," his mother, Irene, told the Post. Grapel is a liberal who speaks Arabic, she said.

A United States consulate official visited Grapel behind bars, where he will remain for a minimum of 15 days. Israel denies he is an agent.

Grapel moved to Israel in 2004 and became a paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Forces. He was wounded during a 2006 invasion of Lebanon. He moved back to the states in 2009 to enroll at Emory.