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Commentary from Egyptian human rights organizations on the interview with Major General Hamdy Badeen military police commander in the Egyptian El Shorouk newspaper.

Sun, 20/03/2011 - 16:04

On March 17th , 2011 , El-Shorouk newspaper published an interview with Major General Hamdy Badeen, military police commander. Badeen denied all torture allegations by the army or military police and denied that the Egyptian museum has turned into a slaughter house . Badeen innocently wondered from which gate the military police vehicles would enter to collect detainees. Badeen added that he knows 27 of the revolution youth who were arrested on March 6 when demonstrators tried to get through to SSI in Lazoghly.

Human Rights Organizations Condemn the Trial of Civilians before Military Courts

Wed, 02/03/2011 - 19:48

The undersigned organizations today condemned a military tribunal's conviction of Amr Abdallah Abd el-Rasoul el-Beheiry (32 years) on March 1st on charges of assault of an officer and breaking curfew. The tribunal further sentenced him to a prison term of five years all within a period that did not exceed three days from the time of his arrest.


The signatory organizations to this statement stressed that civilians are not to be prosecuted and tried for non-military crimes before military tribunals composed of military officers, which is contrary to the basic rights of citizens to a fair trial. They also stressed that all international treaties ratified by Egypt affirm the adherence to the standards of a fair trial even in times of emergency and that no state has the right to derogate from this obligation.


The undersigned organizations express their deep concern over hundreds of trials that took place in the past few weeks since the outbreak of the Revolution on 25 January and that have been tainted with the suspicion of violating internationally agreed upon principles regarding fair and public trials.

 

In many of these cases, family members of the defendants were not able to visit their relatives or hire lawyers to defend them. In the cases where a lawyer was hired, the pace with which the trials took place, did not allow the lawyers much time to review case files or prepare an appropriate defense. The secrecy of the trial proceedings further aggravate the situation, as often the defendants' families are not informed of the time of the trial, or where their relatives are being detained, until after the verdict is issued.  

From Civil Society Organizations

Tue, 01/03/2011 - 23:55

The Supreme Council of Armed Forces is urged to open the doors for democratic transformation and secure accountability of the Mubarak regime

The undersigned Egyptian human rights organizations are closely following the efforts of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces as it manages the country’s affairs in this difficult period, during which the council must assume its responsibilities and honor its vows to respond to the demands and aspirations of the Egyptian people as expressed in the January 25 revolution. Additionally, it must face the repercussions of the overthrow of the Mubarak regime and the disintegration and suspicious withdrawal of the security establishment that accompanied it. The Council must also expose and curb the catastrophic consequences of theft, financial and administrative corruption, and the ruination of the country’s political life perpetrated by a broad network of interests, including the office of the presidency, prominent figures of what was previously known as the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), and influential leaders within the parliament and the executive branch.

We realize that the armed forces acted as a pillar of support for the Egyptian revolution, helping to achieve its first goal of the removal of the former president and the dissolution of the People’s Assembly and Shura Council, which were stigmatized and delegitimized by flagrantly fraudulent elections.

Nevertheless, the undersigned organizations feel growing concern about the path being taken in the transitional phase, which should presumably lay the foundation for a democratic, civil state that respects human rights—the overriding goal for which Egyptians made costly sacrifices.

In this context, we make the following observations:

Silence is Not an Option!

Fri, 25/02/2011 - 00:03

Petition for immediate action by the United Nations Human Rights Council

The undersigned organisations urge the Human Rights Council to act urgently to respond to the violent repression of demonstrations currently underway in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.  The Human Rights Council cannot be a passive bystander of such events, during which the lives of ordinary citizens have been taken or put at risk through violent and unlawful repression. Hundreds of thousands of people in several countries have taken to the streets to peacefully call for their fundamental rights and freedoms to be respected.  Several hundred demonstrators have been killed. Protestors, journalists, human rights defenders, former political prisoners and humanitarian workers have been beaten or arbitrarily arrested.   In the face of such wide-spread rights violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms the United Nations Human Rights Council can no longer remain silent.  The Council should:

Military Police Summons Director of Hisham Mubarak Law Center

Mon, 21/02/2011 - 19:41

 

Military police investigations has summoned colleague and lawyer Ahmed Ragheb, director of Hisham Mubarak Law Center tomorrow, Tuesday, 10 a.m. (22 Waley El Ahd street – Hadaek El Kobba – Cairo) regarding the attack by military police on the center on the 3rd of February 2011.

 

Raghib had filed a complaint to the military prosecutor against military police regarding the break into the center, the destruction of its property and the arrest of all present on the 3rd of February. It was therefore expected that Raghib be summoned by the military prosecutor and not the military police.

 

Accompanying Raghib tomorrow will be a number of lawyers among them representatives of human rights organizations.

 

Background

The breaking into the Hisham Mubarak Law Center

On the 3rd of February 2011 at about 2.30 pm an individual claiming to be the Azbakeyya investigation inspector broke into HMLC ordering everybody there to sit on the floor. He was followed by a military police lieutenant accompanied by two military police officers where the former stood on a chair and shouted: I have orders to shoot anybody who moves. A huge group of thugs then entered the center accompanied by an intelligence officer. They searched the place, destroyed files and stole some of them, destroyed desks and took papers and CDs, searched personal bags of staff all the while throwing obscenities and accusations of destroying Egypt and conspiring with foreigners. 

Call for Urgent Action

Wed, 05/01/2011 - 15:03

 

Instead of the Egyptian Minister of Interior,8 activists brought to trial tomorrow for expressing solidarity with Coptic citizens

 

Eight young activists were arrested Tuesday the 4th of January 2011from a solidarity gathering in Shubra. For hours lawyers and activists gathered yesterday in front of the North Cairoprosecution to demand the release of their colleagues. The eight activist were made to sign an acknowledgement today of their referral to an urgent trial tomorrow morning in the Rod El Farag court of demeanor, a procedure recently used by authorities against democracy activists Ahmed Doma (Justice and Freedom movement – Cairo) and Hassan Mostafa (Hashd movement – Alexandria) both of whom received a prison sentence of one month.

The eight activists were arrested from a solidarity gathering in Shubra, a neighborhood with Coptic majority, in the early hours of the 4th of January after being encircled by thousands of anti riot police and after violent clashes with police that resulted in several injured. Before the arrest the police would check the names of the protestors, permit the Copts to leave and keep who they believed were Muslim protestors inside the police cordon.

The violence against the solidarity movement following the massacre of the New Years' eve in Alexandria, which left an estimate of 21 dead, is an attack against several unified actions between Coptic and Muslim youth, which developed within the past days. 

As an example of the violence that took place in several locations since the beginning of 2011, please check the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46YsFu511g4&feature=player_embedded

Joint Statement by 12 Egyptian Human Rights Organizations... Let the Massacre in Alexandria Be the Beginning of the End of Failed Government Policies

Tue, 04/01/2011 - 14:01

Twelve human rights organizations under the umbrella of the Forum for Independent Egyptian Human Rights Organizations strongly condemn the bombings which took place on New Year's day targeting worshippers leaving Saints Church in Alexandria after New Year's church service. The bombings killed 22 and injured at least 97 others according to official figures. Until the writing of this press release no group has claimed responsibility for this crime.

Forum organizations denounce this terrible massacre which ushered in the new year for the Egyptian people, and urge for this crime to be an opportunity for the government to adopt a new policy in confronting violence and dealing with the sectarian issue. Such a policy must be based on principles of equality and non-discrimination among citizens on the basis of religion or belief.

The groups also strongly condemn the use of violence by security forces when confronting protestors in Alexandria and Cairo who wanted to peacefully express their rejection of the crime on New Year. Forum organizations are calling on the Public Prosecutor to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice, and that investigations into the crime include the negligence by security forces to preempt and prevent the crime. This is especially pertinent in light of threats which were received at the beginning of November 2010 against Egyptian churches.

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