Raid of the headquarters of the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) and arrest of six of its members

Egypt

December20, 2013

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a jointprogramme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention on thefollowing situation in Egypt.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the raid ofthe headquarters of the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR)and the arrest and detention of Mr. Moustafa Eissa, Head of ECESRDocumentaries Unit, Mr. Mahmoud Belal, ECESR lawyer, and four ECESRvolunteers - Mr. Hosam Mohamed Nasr, Mr. El Sayed Mahmoud El Sayed, andMr. Sherif Ashour and Mr. Mohamed Adel, also a member of theApril 6th Youth Movement, an Egyptian activist group established in Spring 2008to support the workers in El-Mahalla El-Kubra, an industrial town, who were planning to strike on April 6[1].

According to the information received, shortly before midnight onDecember 18, 2013, more than 60 heavily armed operatives of Azbakeya and Abdinpolice stations and the Homeland Security Agency stormed the headquarters ofthe ECESR in Cairo. Without any search or arrest warrants, they brutallymanhandled then arrested the six individuals, ransacked the premises, andconfiscated computer hardware. The six were working on a documentary about theongoing strike by the Iron and Steel Workers' Union, in preparation for itsscreening at a press conference the following day.

All of them, with the exception of Mr. Mohamed Adel, were released thefollowing morning and the computers returned to them. They were reportedlybeaten several times during their detention. Mr. Mohamed Adel remains held indetention at an unknown location. Mr. Adel isstanding trial along with Mr. Ahmed Maher, another leader of the April6th Youth Movement, and Mr. Ahmed Douma,on charges of violating the new law restricting protests anddemonstrations.

The Observatory denounces a new escalation in the harassment targetinghuman rights defenders by the Egyptian authorities and notes that crackdowns ofthis kind are not unprecedented but the resumption of a condemnable pattern ofannual year-end raids of the offices of national and international NGOs.

Actions requested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities of Egypt asking them to:

i. Guaranteein all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. MohamedAdel and all human rights defenders in Egypt;

ii. Release Mr. Mohamed Adel andall human rights defenders currently in detention immediately and unconditionally since theirdetention is arbitrary as it seems to only aim at curtailing their human rightsactivities;

iii. Put anend to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Mr.Mohamed Adel and all human rights defenders in Egypt;

iv. Comply with all the provisionsof the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particularwith:

- its Article 1, which provides that “everyone has theright, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strivefor the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms atthe national and international levels”;

- and its Article 12.2, which provides that “the Stateshall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competentauthorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, againstany violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination,pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or herlegitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration” ;

v. Ensure inall circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and international instrumentsratified by Egypt.

Addresses

· President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Adly Mansour,Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg, Fax: +202 23901998

· Prime Minister Mr. Hazem El Biblawi, Magles El Shaab Street, Kasr ElAini Street, Cairo, Egypt. Fax: + 202 2735 6449 /27958016. Email: primemin@idsc.gov.eg

· Minister of the Interior, General Mohamed Ibrahim, Ministry of the Interior,El-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: moi1@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 2579 2031 / 27945529

· Minister of Justice, Mr. Adel Abdel Hamid, Ministry of Justice, MaglesEl Saeb Street, Wezaret Al Adl, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: mojeb@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 2795 8103

· Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Hisham Barakat Dar al-Qadha al-Ali, RamsesStreet, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +202 2577 4716

· National Council For Human Rights, Fax: + 202 25747497 / 25747670

· H.E.Ms. Wafaa Bassim, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, 49 avenueBlanc, 1202 Genève, Switzerland, Email: mission.egypt@ties.itu.int, Fax: +41 22 738 44 15

· Embassy of Egypt in Brussels, 19 avenue de l’Uruguay, 1000 Brussels,Belgium, Fax: +32 2 675.58.88; Email: embassy.egypt@skynet.be

Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Egypt inyour respective country.

***

Paris-Geneva, December20, 2013

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of thisappeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to theprotection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support intheir time of need.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 2518 / +33 1 43 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 4939 / + 41 22 809 49 29

[1]Their core concerns include free speech, nepotism in government and social justice.