egypt: Calls for the Immediate Release of Five Anti-war Activists

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE/UPDATE - EGYPT

2 June 2003

EOHR calls for release of detained journalist, other anti-war activists

SOURCE: Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), Cairo

**Updates IFEX alert of 16 April 2003. For further information on arrests of
journalists covering or participating in anti-war protests, see alerts of 7 and
2 April, 28 and 25 March 2003**

(EOHR/IFEX) - The following is a 28 May 2003 EOHR press release:

Forgotten After the War Against Iraq

EOHR Calls for the Immediate Release of Five Anti-war Activists

EOHR expresses great concern over the detention of five anti-war activists who
have been detained by the Egyptian authorities since the middle of April. They
are: Mohammed Hassan Hassan (student), Wael Mohammed Tawfiq (journalist), Ramz
Jihad (student), and Marwan Ahmad. Each of these individuals was detained under
the Emergency Law in Bourg El-Arab Prison in Alexandria. In addition, Ashraf
Ibrahim Marzouq (engineer) is currently in pre-trial detention in Tora prison,
under case #809 (2003). He is charged with filming a demonstration and having
certain publications in his possession. He will appear before the State Security
Prosecution on 1 June 2003.

EOHR confirms that all these individuals are currently enduring poor prison
conditions and are being refused visitation rights. EOHR further confirms that
Ashraf Marzouq is being detained along with some 40 other prisoners in a small
cell of under 15 cubic metres. EOHR is particularly concerned that there has
been no communication with any of these individuals. It is probable that they
are being subjected to torture, something they were forced to endure immediately
after being arrested and brought to the state security office in Lazoughly,
Cairo.

EOHR views the continuing detention of these individuals as a clear violation of
the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Moreover, the
organisation views the refusal of the state to grant visitation rights as a
violation of national laws and international standards concerning prisoners'
rights. Instances of torture, if proven, would also demonstrate a clear
violation of the right to bodily security. Hence, EOHR calls for the immediate
release of these individuals, and the granting of permission to lawyers and
family members to visit them.

Finally, EOHR would like to emphasize that incidents such as the ones detailed
above demonstrate that the Emergency Law is being used in Egypt to violate or
suppress the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and any
political opposition. This is contrary to the government's claim that such
practices are only being used in the context of the fight against terrorism.

For further information, contact EOHR, 8/10 Mathaf El-Manyal St., 10th fl,
Manyal El-Roda, Cairo, Egypt, tel: +20 2 363 6811/362 0467, fax: +20 2 362 1613,
e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected], Internet: http://www.eohr.org.eg/

The information contained in this press release/update is the sole
responsibility of EOHR. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit EOHR.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622, fax: +1 416 515 7879 alerts e-mail: [email protected]
general e-mail: [email protected] Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________