مركز النديم لتأهيل ضحايا العنف والتعذيب

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.

The Amel Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (ACTRVT) was closed down on March 4th by the Sudanese minister of Humanitarian Aid.

The closure of the centre is part of a crack down by the government of Sudan on other similar NGOs and aid agencies working in the country in response to the ICC arrest warrant issued for the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.

The Amel centre is an award winning IRCT (International Rehabilitation Centre for victims of Torture) member centre and provides Sudanese survivors of torture with rehabilitation services since 1999.

The Nadim centre strongly condemns the decision by the Sudanese authorities to shut down the Amel Centre and urges the Sudanese government to reverse its decision, ensure the privacy of the medical records and the safety of its members.

 Egyptian security authorities kidnap activist Philip Rizk to an unknown destination

(Philip Rizk in the peaceful march 'to Gaza'. Click to enlarge photo. Photo by Per Bjorklund.) 

Yesterday, the 6^th of February 2009, Egyptian security forces stopped a number of activists from the Egyptian Popular Campaign in solidarity with the Palestinian people who had organized a "towards Gaza" campaign". The police stopped them for hours in front of the Abu Zaabal police station and eventually arrested activist, journalist and AUC piostgraduate student Philip Rizk inside the police station before taking him away in a car with concealed numbers to an unknown destination.

When a number of activists tried to follow the car to identify its destination, they were stopped at a police check point. A police general seized identification papers of Dr. Mostafa Hussein from Nadim Center and physically aggressed him.

 

Those are your patients, handcuffed in your hospitals!

 

Ten Egyptian young men came to Nadim center.. they are among the tens of victims of the 6th of April in Mahalla Kobra city in the Delta who happened to be around or passing through the streets which witnessed the attack launched by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior forces against unarmed Egyptian citizens on the 6th of April, using tear gas, rubber bullets, clubs before delivering them to the police stations where they were subjected to torture, humiliation and detention awaiting their trial, which is ongoing until the date of writing this statement. This statement is not about the trial which involves some of the best and most committed human rights lawyers of the committee for the defense of Egyptian demonstrators. We shall not use it to condemn the police violence which has become a constant component of Egyptians' daily lives in harmony with the brutal policies adopted by the Mubarak regime and implemented with determination and all disregard for the by its Minister of Interior Habib el Adly.

 

In this statement we do not address the Minister of Interior, it is an open message to the Minister of Health whose hospitals have become an extension of the ministry of interior.. where doctors seem to have adopted the role of police officers; where the ethics of the medical profession seem to have given way to the code of conduct of the police and state security men.

 

Torture by the police.. Complicity by the prosecution and the hospital

Upon an appeal by Ms. Mona Sobhi a delegation from Hisham Mubarak Law Center and El Nadim Center went to Kafr el Dawwar to visit the family of Sobhi Mohamed Sobhi Hussein and listen to the statements and testimonies of victims to a brutal police attack on a number of family members. The delegation then went to the police station and was able to meet with the victims.

Hadj Sobhi Mohamed Hussein, 67 years old, suffered several cigarette burn marks on his chest and abdomen. He told us of other similar marks on his thighs.

Ahmed Sobhi Mohamed Hussein, 36 years old, suffers hemorrhage in the left eye with consequent no perception of light. Bruises and abrasions were observed on his face and arms and various parts of his body.

Mohamed Sobhi Hussein, 38 years old, fracture of right wrist bones.

Those are but a few of the injuries of Hadj Sobhi and his two sons in addition to his nephew whom we did not see during the visit.

Where and when and how did that happen? The following are the details:

We would like to note that the Sobhi family is a well to do family and are one of the main fish dealers in Kafr El Dawwar. The family owns an apartment building where the father, his two sons and his nephew live together.

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