[prisoner-rights] Egypt: Four Judicial verdicts to allow four prisoners to attend their exams

Cairo: 1/7/2002

   The Administrative Court confirms
   The prisoners' rights to pursue their educational career
   The Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners obtains
   four Judicial verdicts to allow four prisoners to attend their exams.

On 30/6/2002,The Administrative Court of the State Council pronounced
four verdicts in the following cases: case no.1675/56, case no. 1678/56,
case no.1448/56 and the case no.1559/56. Permitting the following
political detainees to attend their exams:

Waleed Hamed Abdul Fatah , detained since 1993, Faculty of Commerce, his
current prison is Wadi El Natroon (2);

Emad Hamed Abdul Fatah, detained since 1993, Faculty of Political
Science, his current prison is Wadi El Natroon (2);

Abdul Rasoul Hasan Abdullah, detained since 1992 Faculty of Art, Cairo
university, his current prison is Damnhour ,

Ahmed Badawi Ahmed, Detained since 1995, Faculty of Law , Tanta
university- ( He was released during the court hearing sessions.)

The Ministry of Interior denied the right of the aforementioned
detainees to pursue their educational career and attend their exams.
Such denial has been challenged before the administrative courts.

In its defense, the Ministry of Interior claimed that the dates for the
exams are not yet due. Hence, and according to the Ministry of Interior
it is impossible to claim that the Ministry refuses to permit the
detainees to attend their exams. And added that, there is jeopardy from
permitting them to attend their exams.

These judicial verdicts confirmed the detainees and prisoners' rights
to pursue their educational careers. And stresses on the fact that the
Ministry of Interior is not empowered to prevent the prisoners from
attending their exams, as way of punishment. It is worthy mentioning
that, on 19/5/2002, the HRCAP has obtained two other verdicts in favor
of two detainees to attend their exams. Accordingly the total number of
the verdicts which the HRCAP legal Assistance dept. obtained has become
6 verdicts. On the other hand the HRCAP has obtained 113 verdicts to
open some prisons for visiting, these prisons have been closed against
visitors according to the orders of the Minister of Interior.

The HRCAP hopes that these verdicts would urge the Ministry of Interior
not to violate the prisoners' basic rights under any circumstances. As
well as drawing the attention of the Ministry of Interior to the fact
that the Egyptian Judiciary system is a permanent supporter to the basic
rights and liberties of the Egyptian citizens specially those under
detention. At the same time the HRCAP confirms that it will pursue the
legal procedures against the orders of the Ministry of Interior, which
violates the prisoners rights and liberties.

The Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners