"Human rights in the context of the war on Terror"

Saturday 2nd of May 2009

9 am - 2 pm

at Hisham Mubarak Law Center

El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of victims of Violence in collaboration with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the International Council for the Rehabilitation of victims of Torture (IRCT) are honored to invite you to a seminar addressing "Human rights in the context of the war on Terror".

The seminar will be held on the 2^nd of May 2009, at theHisham Mubarak Law Center (HMLC), from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Address: 1 Suq el Tawfikeyya street, 5^th floor

Yesterday, at 9 pm police forces arrested lawyer Mohamed Ramadan representing Tosson inhabitants in Alexandria as well as three citizens: Abdallah Mohamed Abdallah, Magda Abdallah Ahmed and Aya Mohamed Abdallah. They were interrogated around midnight and charged of illegal gathering, inciting demonstrations and chanting slogans condemning the political regime. The prosecution ordered their detention, for further interrogations the following day upon receipt of intelligence information from the police. While lawyers were waiting in the court room to represent Mohamed Ramadan and the other three, an argument broke out between them and the police upon which the lawyer (member of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center network of lawyers) was held for 20 minutes before his release. The prosecution did not confront the accused with the police intelligence, accused Mohamed Ramadan of joining an illegal group "Kefaya" and ordered his detention for 15 days and the release of the three citizens.

In Kafr El Sheikh the public attorney withdrew his decision to look into the appeal of Omneyya and Sarah's detention today and postponed it until tomorrow. Members of the Sixth of April Youth group who were arrested this morning from the court house are being charged at the police station and are expected to appear in front of the prosecution tomorrow.

The prosecution also decided to postpone listening to the statements by the lawyers of HMLC and AFTE concerning the complaint filed by them until tomorrow.

The undersigned organizations condemn all oppressive and aggressive measures by the Alexandria and Kafr el Sheikh police and demands the immediate release of the detainees.

 

• Police harassment of HMLC and AFTE lawyers

• Omneyya and Sarah's detention extended for 15 days

• 6th of April Youth spend last night in front of public attorney's office

• HMLC calls for a meeting to coordinate efforts regarding police violations on the 6thof April.

 

On the 1st of April police authorities in Kafr El Sheikh arrested Omneyya Taha Ahmed, student in faculty of engineering and Sarah Mohamed Ibrahim, student in workers university, claiming they have been distribution posters carrying the slogans "Long Live Egypt" and "6th of April.. the day of anger).

The prosecution interrogated the two students on the following day (2nd April) and accused them of threatening stable and established constitutional and social norms, disruption of social harmony and peace, inciting public employees to strike. It ordered an extension of their detention until the following day, when the prosecution received police intelligence information claiming that both were provocative elements who incite hatred of the regime and seek to overthrow the regime.

Both Sarah and Omneyya denied the allegations. HMLC network lawyer, Isamil Abou El Yazid contested charges and presented evidence to the contradictions between circumstances of arrest and intelligence information. The prosecution ordered a four day extension of their detention, upon which 30 of the 6th April youth group began a sit in in front of the office of the public attorney in Kafr el sheikh demanding the release of Sarah and Omneyya.

Six Egyptian human rights organizations today urged the Public Prosecutor to initiate an immediate investigation into assaults committed against Baha'i Egyptians over the past several days in the southern governorate of Sohag. In a complaint filed this morning, the groups called for the investigation to include those responsible for the direct incitement to the assaults and asked that the matter be referred urgently to criminal trial.

"The heinous and unprecedented attacks on Baha'i Egyptians are a crime against all Egyptians," the rights organizations said. "We shall never allow the perpetrators of these crimes to benefit from the same climate of impunity that has marred the government's response to sectarian violence against Egyptians Copts over the last four decades."

Preliminary inquiries carried out by the rights groups found that the attacks began on Saturday evening, 28 March, in the village of al-Shuraniya, located in the Maragha district of Sohag, when dozens of village residents gathered outside of the homes of Baha'i citizens in the village and began chanting, "There is no god but God, Baha'is are the enemies of God." Those assembled then began pelting the houses with rocks, breaking windows and attempting to break in. Although police forces arrived in the village after being called by the victims of the attack, the police simply dispersed the assembled parties without arresting anyone involved in the crime. Similar, though less intense, attacks occurred on 29 and 30 March.