مركز النديم لتأهيل ضحايا العنف والتعذيب

Like thousands of Egyptian young people Ahmed Doma, poet, blogger and media officer of the committee of prisoners of conscience dreamt of a life free of an emergency law, and security persecution of activists. On the 3rd of May 2010 Doma responded with other young people to a call by several MPs and representatives of Egyptian political groups to participate in a demonstration from the Omar Makram mosque in down town Tahrir square to the People's Assembly to submit a petition concerning democratic change, drafted by a wide spectrum of political groups and trends.

As usual, the Egyptian ministry of interior responded in the one way it has adopted as a policy towards Egyptian citizens: violence, beating and cordoning the protesters. From the midst of that demonstration, which was violently prevented by the police from moving one step towards its planned destination, Doma was arrested, falsely accused of having alone aggressed two police officers, blocking the traffic and inciting the public!!! He was hastily tried, sentenced to six months in prison, which upon appeal, were reduced to three!

Although the arrest was clearly at a political event, the demonstration called for by MPs, and despite the numerous aggressions by the police against protesters, as documented in several legal complaints and blogs, including Doma himself, and despite a legal complaint filed by Doma against the two officers accusing them of aggressing him (case scheduled for the 2nd of October 2010), Doma is currently doing his sentence at the high security criminal prison of Qatta, in a message sent by the police to Egyptian youth who dream of life of freedom.

1 June 2010

1. Blogger Amr Salama, author of the blog “Lessa Aish,” was arrested because of his coverage of electoral developments.  His last posts to Facebook before his arrest were the following: “After the National Democratic Party canceled elections in Sharqeya's Haheya district, in blatant disregard of court orders, I went to the Abu Kabir and Faqous districts – the most contested in Sharqeya.  I took photographs from inside polling staff headquarters, where they sat eating kofta and kebab and forging votes on election ballots for the NDP candidates in Abu Kabir.  Freedom for Amr Salama” (from Facebook).

Assessment issued by Duarte Nuno Vieira, Chief Forensic Pathologist, Professor of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Head of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine of Portugal (see attached CV) and Jørgen L.Thomsen, ChiefForensic Pathologist, Professor of Forensic Medicine, Head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Odense (see attached CV), concerning the forensic reports dated 10th June 2010 and 27th June 2010, following the autopsies performed on Khaled Mohamed Said Sobhi on 7th and 16th June, 2010.

The opinion expressed is based upon the forensic reports indicated above (an English version was provided) and upon a set of seven photographs, of which two show Khaled Mohamed Said Sobhi alive (Photos 1 and 2 attached), 3 in the morgue from the first autopsy (Photos 3, 4 and 5 attached) and two from the second autopsy (Photos 6 and 7 attached).

Thus:

1) The report of the first autopsy, performed on 7th June 2010, reveals that it did not comply with the minimum international standards for forensic autopsies and that there were numerous significant deficiencies. For example, the description of the macroscopic anatomopathological findings observed is manifestly inadequate: basic data such as the weight and individual characteristics of the various organs are not given; there was no histological study (always essential) or complementary imaging tests (which would have been very relevant in this case to prove the absence of lesions), and the dissection technique used (as shown in the description of the opening incisions provided in the second autopsy) was inadequate for the situation (for example, the neck should never have been dissected using a single mentopubic incision), etc.

1 May
1. General Ismail El Shaer, first assistant to the Minister of Interior, sends a warning to independent MPs refusing their request to organize a peaceful demonstration demanding political reform. The demonstration was planned to head to parliament to submit the demands to the chair. In its refusal, the Cairo security directorate states that within the current security situation such demonstrations and protests may lead to disruption of public security in the capital and obstruct traffic to the disadvantage of citizens interests. The security directorate held MPs responsible for any breach of its orders. (EL Masry El Youm)
2. The detention of 8 members of the Muslim Brotherhood was renewed for 15 days. They are charged with belonging to a banned group and possession of books and publications that advocate the ideology of the group. (El Shorouk)

El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of victims of Violence received the following information regarding the disappearance of the defendants in the so called Hezbollah case from Tora prison.

Upon their visit to the prison on the 18th of July 2010the families of the prisoners were told by the prison administration that their relatives were not in the prison. Inquiring about their whereabouts they were told that "they are not here and we do not know where they are", which constitutes a case of forced disappearance in violation of all international human rights previsions and laws.  

El Nadim Center expresses its concern regarding the disappearance of the sentenced prisoners especially that earlier reports indicated that they have been held incommunicado throughout the duration of the interrogation, which usually indicates their incarceration in state security investigations headquarters where torture is almost always likely to take place. Upon their first contact with the media, during the first court session, the defendants stated that they have been subjected to severe torture and maltreatment.

The disappearance of the prisoners and the alleged lack of information by prison administration regarding their whereabouts raises serious concerns that they are again being held in the custody of state security investigation, which involves a major threat to their safety and lives.

The center demands that security authorities in Egyptreveal the whereabouts of the prisoners and the reason for their displacement and holds the minister of interior personally responsible for their safety and lives.

Background: