[huridocs-tech] Egypt: Award-winning blogger among new arrests

More Than 100 Now Held in Political Protests 

(New York, May 10, 2006) – Egyptian security officials arrested 11 more
political reform activists, including an award-winning blogger, Alaa Ahmed
Seif al-Islam, Human Rights Watch said today. This brings to more than 100
the number of people detained over the past two weeks for exercising their
rights to freedom of assembly and expression.

Approximately half of those arrested are members of the Muslim Brotherhood
who were putting up posters and distributing leaflets protesting the April
30 extension of emergency rule for another two years. The Emergency Law
has been in effect since President Hosni Mubarak came to power in October
1981. The others were detained for demonstrating in support of a group of
judges campaigning for greater judicial independence.
 
"These new arrests indicate that President Mubarak intends to silence all
peaceful opposition," said Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights
Watch's Middle East and North Africa division.
 
The latest arrests occurred on May 7 near the South Cairo Court where
activists arrested on April 24 were scheduled to appear before a judge.
Police released three of the 11 new detainees, but transferred the
remaining eight to the Heliopolis state security prosecutor, who extended
their detention for 15 days. The eight detained are: Ahmed `Abd al- Gawad,
Ahmed `Abd al-Ghaffar, Alaa Ahmed Seif al-Islam, Asma'a `Ali, Fadi
Iskandar, Karim al-Sha`ir, Nada al-Qassas and Rasha Azab.
 
On May 8, authorities extended for another 15 days the detention of a
dozen activists arrested on April 24. They initially faced charges of
blocking traffic, but the authorities later transferred their cases to
state security prosecutors. Yesterday, authorities extended the detention
of 28 activists arrested on April 26 and 27 for another 15 days. All those
arrested between April 24 and May 7 for demonstrating now face charges of
"insulting the president," "spreading false rumors," and "disturbing
public order" under the parallel state security legal system set up under
the Emergency Law.
 
According to a statement published on an activist Web site, activists
detained between April 24 and 27 have begun a hunger strike to protest
prison conditions, including threats of torture and ill-treatment.
 
"The activists detained over the past two weeks should be released
immediately, unharmed," Stork said. "The Egyptian government is
responsible under international law for their safety."
 
The campaign of judges for greater judicial independence has become a
rallying point for political reform activists. The Judges' Club, the
quasi- official professional organization for members of the judiciary,
refused to certify the results of last year's parliamentary elections
after more than 100 of the judges reported irregularities at polling
stations. In February, the government-controlled Supreme Judicial Council
stripped four of the most vocal judges of their judicial immunity.

 

 
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