JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri — One of the three U.S. college students arrested during demonstrations in Egypt called home Wednesday and said he was being treated relatively well but denied that he threw anything during a protest in Cairo, his father said. The three students attend American University in Cairo, and a spokeswoman for the school said Wednesday they were questioned by Egyptian authorities around midnight Cairo time. The school said an embassy lawyer was present for the questioning and that the consul general spoke with the students, reporting that they are in good health and being treated well. An Egyptian official has said the three were arrested on the roof of a university building, where they were throwing firebombs at security forces fighting with protesters near Tahrir Square. Another round of questioning by authorities was expected. Kevin Sweeney told The Associated Press that his 19-year-old son Derrik spoke "very briefly" with his mother about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, using the phone of the consul general. He said his son said he has not been tortured and that he was observing the demonstrations from the roof because he is studying Egyptian culture. "He said he was watching from the rooftop and said he was not throwing anything and the next thing you know, they were grabbed by the police forces and hustled off and basically made into a big public display," Kevin Sweeney said. The two others arrested were Luke Gates, 21, and Gregory Porter, 19. ___ Associated Press writer Patrick Walters in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
