An Open Letter to the Torturers at the Ministry of Interior in Egypt

Press Release

23 March 2003

An Open Letter to the Torturers at the Ministry of Interior and their
Superiors

A number of civil society organizations sent an open letter today to
the torturers of the Ministry of Interior and their superiors, who
spent the last three days, since the outbreak of the war against Iraq
in randomly arresting and torturing Egyptian anti war activists and
protesters.

The message follows:

"To all those working at the Egyptian Ministry of Interior and who are
involved in torture or who have ordered it or refrained from stopping
it, although they knew it was taking place:

The undersigned organizations know how you have spent the last three
days torturing our colleagues, antiwar activists and other Egyptian
citizens who have walked the same path of the millions of citizens all
over the world and have peacefully expressed their protest of the
killing going on in Iraq.

We are writing this message to advise you not to sleep too deeply at
night. We wish to inform you that you will be very wrong to think that
you are immune to accountability, trial and punishment.

We are putting together a list of your names. We are documenting the
testimonies of your victims. We are collecting evidence that will
convict you in preparation for the day when we shall settle accounts.

You might be deceived by the lenience of our national legislation on
torture. You may be under the illusion that you are immune to
punishment as long as you have not been put to trial until now. Yet, an
unhappy surprise will soon be waiting for you, when you step out of the
plane in any country of the world to find that you are being handcuffed
and made to face your victims in front of a judiciary that are
merciless with whoever violated international human rights law on the
issue of torture, no matter where it has taken place.

Don't ever believe that the blindfold you put on the eyes of your
victims before torturing them will prevent us from establishing charges
against you. Sharon did not kill the victims of Sabra and Chatila with
his bare hands and Nezar Khazorghy did not himself fly the plane that
bombed the Kurds in Halabja with chemical weapons.

Proving you responsible, even if indirectly so, and guilty for the
crime of torture will relieve some of the anguish of your victims by
watching you behind bars.

He who punched Manal Khaled in the face causing its disfigurement; he
who kicked Norhan Tharwat in her pregnant body, and broke the arm of
Ziad el Uleimy and many more; he who assaulted four of the members of
parliament and many, many others will not bare alone the responsibility
for their crimes. They will be joined by all who could have stopped
this torture and didn't; all who could have held the relevant
authorities responsible and didn't.

Expect us..!"

Signatories (to be completed):

Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights

Hisham Mubarak Law Center

El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence

Egyptian Popular committee in Solidarity with the Palestinian Intifada

Egyptian Center for the Rights of the Child

Anti-Globalization Egyptian Group

Committee to Support the Intifada at the Press Syndicate

Land Center for Human Rights

Egyptian Center for Housing Rights

Center for Research and Programs of Alternative Development

Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners