Egypt: Peaceful Critics Arrested in Clampdown

[struggle4progress]

Monday, 7 February 2005, 11:43 am
Press Release: Human Rights Watch

Egypt: Peaceful Critics Arrested in Clampdown on Dissent Mubarak Government Should Release Detained Parliamentarian, Activists

Egyptian government should immediately release a member of parliament and other peaceful critics arrested in recent days on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Hosni Mubarak. The president should instruct security officials to cease the systematic harassment and intimidation of peaceful dissidents. “The government raised hopes that Egypt was turning a new page on human rights when it permitted a public demonstration against President Mubarak in December,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “But today, the government’s radical crackdown on peaceful dissent sends the message that there’s no place for democratic freedoms under Mubarak.”

The letter to President Mubarak raised the following recent incidents:

• On Saturday, January 29, security forces arrested Ayman Nur, elected member of the People’s Assembly, in a public and physically abusive manner. He has been detained for 45 days while “investigations” continue into a complaint by an Interior Ministry office regarding his alleged forgery of signatures for the establishment of Al-Ghad, a legal opposition party which he heads.

• On Friday, January 28, security forces detained journalist Ibrahim al-Sahar, lawyer Marwa Faruq, and student Baho Baksh on charges of “incitement against public order” as they distributed leaflets at the annual Cairo International Book Fair calling for a demonstration on February 4 against President Mubarak standing unopposed for a fifth term. The three have been given a 14-day sentence. <more>

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0502/S00158.htm

[mitchtv]

1. I think an invasion is in order

after all, this is 'murka, and chimpy says its our mission.

[gottaB]

2. Arrests at the Fair

Amira Howeidy looks for the limits of political opposition in light of this week's arrests of three activists and an MP

The invitation to yesterday's Press Syndicate Freedoms Committee rally said the event was being held in solidarity with "fighters for change". These include journalist Ibrahim El- Sahhary of the business daily El-Alam El-Yom, lawyer Marwa Farouk, and Saudi-British American University in Cairo student Baho Abdallah, all of whom were arrested on 28 January at the Cairo International Book Fair. When MP Ayman Nour, head of the recently formed Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) opposition party was arrested as he was leaving parliament on 29 January, the rally's organisers extended their solidarity appeal to this fourth "fighter", who has been accused of forging party membership applications and been remanded in custody for 45 days pending investigations.

The three activists who were arrested at the Book Fair were accused of possessing leaflets that incite hatred of the regime, a catchall charge that is frequently levelled against political activists. Sahhary was also accused of resisting arrest. The three were remanded in custody for 15 days pending investigations. The leaflets in question were invitations to a 4 February demonstration organised by the Egyptian Popular Movement for Change (EPMC) against President Hosni Mubarak's re-nomination for a fifth presidential term. All three denied the charges.

The EPMC, along with other activist groups, held the first ever anti-Mubarak demonstration in downtown Cairo last December under the slogan kifaya (enough). This coalition of activists -- who include Nasserists, leftists and Islamists -- was set up last year with the express purpose of opposing Mubarak's re-nomination for a fifth term. Other groups and individuals working in this direction are also demanding constitutional changes allowing for direct elections of the president and limiting him to two terms in office. Al-Ghad Party's Nour is one of them.

Arrests at the Fair....