Egypt
17.02.03
Urgent Interventions
Egypt: arbitrary detention of 15 peaceful anti-war demonstrators
Case EGY 170203
Arbitrary detention / Freedom of expression
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Egypt.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Egyptian Organisation of Human Rights (EOHR), a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrests and detention of 15 peaceful demonstrators in Egypt.
According to the information received, the Egyptian authorities have arrested 15 persons in relation with demonstrations against the war in Iraq. Many of them remain in pre-trial detention with some of them having reportedly been kept in incommunicado detention during this time.
Most recently, during the early morning of February 9th, officials from the State Security Investigations Office arrested Mr. Ibrahim El Sahary, who is a journalist at Akhbar El Alam “World News” and an anti-war activist. He was held in the office of State Security Investigations in Gaber Ibn Hayan in Giza, Cairo before being transfered to Mazraat Tora prison. His arrest was reportedly related to the demonstration that was held in the Book Fair.
Separately, the State Security Investigations arrested 11 persons who demonstrated against the war against Iraq on 18/1/2003 in El Sayeda Zenab district, Cairo. Following their arrest, they were referred to the State Security Prosecution that decided to detain them pending investigation, on charges of disrupting the public order and peace. Several of their number remain under pre-trial detention in Tora prison. A further three persons have been detained in separately in relation to anti-war demonstrations.
The persons identities are as follows:
1) Karim Ahmed Mohamed Omr - was detained in El Darb El Ahmar Police Station, has since been released;
2) Tamer Hendawi Abd El Hafeez - initially held at the State Security Investigations Office (SSIO) following a demonstration in front of the People's Assembly;
3) Mohamed Khalil Ghatas - an accountant from Shebeen El Kanater, initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
4) Mohamed Dakhli - initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
5) Abdel Gawaad Ahmed Mostafa - initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
6) Rami Safwat - arrested near the bar association in Abd El Khalek, initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
7) Mahmed Hassan Hassan Ahmed - a secondary student, initially held at the SSIO;
8) Mahmed Abd El samee - a secondary student, was detained in El Darb El Ahmar Police Station, has since been released;
9) Mostafa Aid Ramadan - detained in El Sayeda Zenab Police Station, has since been released;
10) Mohamd Abd El Razek Mohamed - detained in El Darb Al Ahmar Police Station, following demonstration in El Azhar, has since been released;
11) Magdy El Kordi;
12) Mohamed Hosni Mahmoud ( Palestinian);
13) Samir El Fouli;
14) Sabri El Samak - the Director of production at Aflam Misr El Alameya, the production company of Egyptian film director Yousef Shahin
15) and the afore-mentioned Mr. Ibrahim El Sahary.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by these reports of arbitrary arrests and detention of persons engaged in exercising their rights to the freedom of expression and opinion. OMCT calls upon the authorities to order their immediate release and to halt any further action of this type against peaceful demonstrators, as these represent violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that has been ratified by Egypt.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Egypt urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the afore-mentioned persons that have been detained as a result of participation in peaceful anti-war demonstrations, given that some of them have reportedly already been detained incommunicado, which gives rise to fears that they may have been or may yet be subjected to ill-treatment or torture;
ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances these arrests in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iv. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of peaceful demostrators;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
· H.E. President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: 202 390 199 98, Email : Webmaster@presidency.gov.eg
· H.E. General Habib Ibrahim El Adly, Minister of the Interior, Al – Sheik Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: 202 579 2031
· Her Excellency Mrs Naéla Gabr, Ambassador of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue Blanc 49, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, fax: + 41 22 738 44 15, e-mail: mission.Egypt@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the embassies of Egypt in your respective country.
Geneva, February 17th, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Arbitrary detention / Freedom of expression
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Egypt.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Egyptian Organisation of Human Rights (EOHR), a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrests and detention of 15 peaceful demonstrators in Egypt.
According to the information received, the Egyptian authorities have arrested 15 persons in relation with demonstrations against the war in Iraq. Many of them remain in pre-trial detention with some of them having reportedly been kept in incommunicado detention during this time.
Most recently, during the early morning of February 9th, officials from the State Security Investigations Office arrested Mr. Ibrahim El Sahary, who is a journalist at Akhbar El Alam “World News” and an anti-war activist. He was held in the office of State Security Investigations in Gaber Ibn Hayan in Giza, Cairo before being transfered to Mazraat Tora prison. His arrest was reportedly related to the demonstration that was held in the Book Fair.
Separately, the State Security Investigations arrested 11 persons who demonstrated against the war against Iraq on 18/1/2003 in El Sayeda Zenab district, Cairo. Following their arrest, they were referred to the State Security Prosecution that decided to detain them pending investigation, on charges of disrupting the public order and peace. Several of their number remain under pre-trial detention in Tora prison. A further three persons have been detained in separately in relation to anti-war demonstrations.
The persons identities are as follows:
1) Karim Ahmed Mohamed Omr - was detained in El Darb El Ahmar Police Station, has since been released;
2) Tamer Hendawi Abd El Hafeez - initially held at the State Security Investigations Office (SSIO) following a demonstration in front of the People's Assembly;
3) Mohamed Khalil Ghatas - an accountant from Shebeen El Kanater, initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
4) Mohamed Dakhli - initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
5) Abdel Gawaad Ahmed Mostafa - initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
6) Rami Safwat - arrested near the bar association in Abd El Khalek, initially held at the SSIO after a demonstration in El Sayeda Zenab;
7) Mahmed Hassan Hassan Ahmed - a secondary student, initially held at the SSIO;
8) Mahmed Abd El samee - a secondary student, was detained in El Darb El Ahmar Police Station, has since been released;
9) Mostafa Aid Ramadan - detained in El Sayeda Zenab Police Station, has since been released;
10) Mohamd Abd El Razek Mohamed - detained in El Darb Al Ahmar Police Station, following demonstration in El Azhar, has since been released;
11) Magdy El Kordi;
12) Mohamed Hosni Mahmoud ( Palestinian);
13) Samir El Fouli;
14) Sabri El Samak - the Director of production at Aflam Misr El Alameya, the production company of Egyptian film director Yousef Shahin
15) and the afore-mentioned Mr. Ibrahim El Sahary.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by these reports of arbitrary arrests and detention of persons engaged in exercising their rights to the freedom of expression and opinion. OMCT calls upon the authorities to order their immediate release and to halt any further action of this type against peaceful demonstrators, as these represent violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that has been ratified by Egypt.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Egypt urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the afore-mentioned persons that have been detained as a result of participation in peaceful anti-war demonstrations, given that some of them have reportedly already been detained incommunicado, which gives rise to fears that they may have been or may yet be subjected to ill-treatment or torture;
ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances these arrests in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iv. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of peaceful demostrators;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
· H.E. President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: 202 390 199 98, Email : Webmaster@presidency.gov.eg
· H.E. General Habib Ibrahim El Adly, Minister of the Interior, Al – Sheik Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: 202 579 2031
· Her Excellency Mrs Naéla Gabr, Ambassador of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue Blanc 49, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, fax: + 41 22 738 44 15, e-mail: mission.Egypt@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the embassies of Egypt in your respective country.
Geneva, February 17th, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.