Author: Luiz Sanchez

Profile: Hamada Al-Masry

$Al-Masry is a political activist, who has been very vocal since the onset of the 2011 Revolution Photo: Hamada Al-Masry (Photo\Courtesy of Facebook Fan Page Freedom for Hamada Al-Masry)$
Al-Masry is a political activist, who has been very vocal since the onset of the 2011 Revolution
Photo: Hamada Al-Masry
(Photo\Courtesy of Facebook Fan Page Freedom for Hamada Al-Masry)

On 14 February clashes broke out between police and lawyers outside the Boulak Abul Ella Police Station. The fight erupted when lawyer Mohamed Reda was barred from entering the station to visit a detainee. Hamada Al-Masry was called on to the scene along with paramedic Ahmed Abu Gabal to treat the wounded and document the events, only to be arrested moments later.

Al-Masry is a political activist, who has been very vocal since the onset of the 2011 Revolution. His wife, Noha Magdy, said he was often present at protests and fought for a better Egypt.

Coming from a well-known family in Minya, Al-Masry has two daughters and was an avid supporter of President Mohamed Morsi leading up to the elections. His support of Morsi was such that it complicated his marital relationship, Magdy said, adding that he had exerted a lot of pressure on his wife to vote for the Muslim Brotherhood’s backup candidate. “Now look at what the government is doing to him,” Magdy exclaimed.

Prior to Morsi’s ascent to power, Al-Masry had been approached twice by members of the armed forces, Magdy said. Twice he was offered land, money and cars to leave the Tahrir Square, but twice his wife said he refused. These meetings, she added, were led by the former Chief of Staff Sami Hafez Anan and Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi.

Although he had supported Morsi prior to the presidential elections, Al-Masry still protested in the streets to defend the revolution, even if that meant going against his chosen candidate.

“I tried to convince him before to carry a weapon, because he would always come home late from the streets and it was dangerous,” Magdy said. “But he always refused to do it, saying his protection would be left at the hands of God.”

Magdy spoke of her husband with sadness creeping in at the edges. “He has never laid a hand on any of his daughters; he is a kind and gentle man that has always treated his family fairly and decently.”

Nearly two weeks after being detained by security forces at the Boulak Aboul Ella Police Station for allegedly attempting to break in, Al-Masry will appeal his arrest on Monday.

He had been arrested outside the police station by what who his lawyer Omar Mekkary described as “thugs”. He was stabbed in the back and taken within the station, where he was charged with attempting to break into the police station and possession of a firearm.

Mekkary said the police did not initially provide medical assistance to Al-Masry, but after pressure from lawyers and civil groups, a doctor was finally allowed to treat him.

Mekkary said he has been in communication with Al-Masry, and has been a part of the on-going investigations. Nevertheless, Mekkary added, his detention is unlawful.

Mekkary said a separate case against Al-Masry was filed after his arrest by prosecutors, whom claim they have linked a weapon found in a car in the Darb El-Ahmar neighbourhood to the defendant.

An appeal session is set to take place this Monday. Mekkary said he believes it will likely rule in Al-Masry’s favour as his defence is very strong.

Magdy did not share Mekkary’s optimism, saying the country is in the grip of a system that revels in injustice. “Due to the unfair and unjust circumstances our country is going through,” she said, “he will never go free.”

February 24, 2013
SNC criticises international community for silence on Aleppo

$Syrian National Council chairman George Sabra met with the Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Araby on Sunday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria Photo: George Sabra (AFP\Photo)$
Syrian National Council chairman George Sabra met with the Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Araby on Sunday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria
Photo: George Sabra
(AFP\Photo)

Syrian National Council chairman George Sabra met with the Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Araby on Sunday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria. Sabra and his delegation told El-Araby that the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the collective opposition of which the council is a part, would not be participating in the Friends of Syria meeting next month.

Sabra also said the SNC would not be accepting invitations to visit Russia and the United States “in protest against the international silence surrounding the suffering of unarmed civilians” as well as the indiscriminate bombing and use of Scud missiles on the city of Aleppo and other parts of the country.

Despite Sabra’s statement, the US did condemn the attack on Aleppo, saying it is “only the latest demonstration of the Syrian regime’s ruthlessness and its lack of compassion for the Syrian people it claims to represent”.

Victoria Nuland, a spokesperson for the US state department, added that the “Assad regime has no legitimacy and remains in power only through brute force”.

According to a statement released by the Arab League, both parties also discussed the framework of the peace initiative put forward by the SNC chairman, Moaz Al-Khatib. The initiative was accepted by the SNC in a meeting held on 15 February and calls for dialogue between the SNC and the Al-Assad regime. As a precondition, Al-Khatib said he will not sit down with Al-Assad or those nearest to him who have their hands “stained by blood”.

El-Araby said in the statement that the league strongly condemns the bombing of Aleppo as well as the bombings of 21 February. Such military actions, El-Araby added, constitute war crimes and should not be tolerated. He recommended the United Nations Security Council take a decisive stance to ensure “the immediate cessation of such criminal operations and to punish the perpetrators”.

Emergency relief to Aleppo to mitigate the results of the most recent violence was also on the agenda. The Secretary General appealed to the UN to intensify their efforts and coordinate cooperation with civil society organisations.

El-Araby also stressed the need to continue working towards a transitional government to lead Syria when the time comes in order to halt bloodshed and keep the country from descending into further chaos.

Last Saturday, the SNC announced it would attempt to form a government which will rule over the “liberated” areas of the country.

The SNC delegation said in the meeting it was concerned with the increased Iranian interference in Syria, adding that the Lebanese Hezbollah faction control a number of villages in Homs and across the Lebanese-Syrian border.

February 24, 2013
NGO draft law to restrict freedom of association: Amnesty International

Amnesty International has called the new draft law which regulates non-governmental organisations (NGO) in Egypt “a new low” on NGO restrictions.

NGOs fear the draft law, if enacted, will restrict their activities in Egypt with accordance to state desires. Amnesty said the move to “prohibit national NGOs’ contact with foreign organisations without prior permission from security bodies represents a new low for freedom of association”. NGOs advocated for contrary legislation which would limit state-control over their work.

Nagwa Hussein Khalil, the Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs who made the final draft, had said earlier this month that the ministry had refused NGOs request, adding that the ministry does not intent to impose restrictions on NGOs or to dominate them. Instead, she said, the ministry wants to organise the sector to make it more effective.

According to Amnesty, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights had received a letter from the ministry saying no local entities are permitted to engage with “international entities” without the permission of security bodies, as per the prime minister’s instructions. The wording of the letter, of which Amnesty has obtained a copy, uses general and vague language in reference to “international entities. This vagueness, Amnesty said, “is likely to include both international human rights organisations and [United Nations] bodies”.

“NGOs in Egypt already face staggering restrictions, but this instruction is a new low,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. “It is a disturbing indicator of what may lie ahead for human rights groups in the government’s new law.”

The draft law, Amnesty says, serves to tighten restrictions and in some cases, “severely limits the ability of NGOs to conduct fact-finding visits and other essential activities, as well as further restricts funding”.

The draft law proposes an NGO must have EGP 250,000 in order to legally register with the government, as opposed to the current EGP 10,000. The number of people needed to be able to open an NGO in Egypt is also proposed to double, from 10 to 20. Amnesty says current laws already present numerous obstacles for registration and foreign funding.

“We fear that the authorities are yet again trying to push through legislation to stifle civil society to prevent criticism,” said Hadj Sahraoui.

In 2011 the government began an investigation into the source of funding received by several NGOs. As a result several organisations were the target of a series of raids, resulting in 43 staff members of international organisations being put on trial for receiving foreign funds without state approval and operating without official registration.

Amnesty International has urged the authorities to drop the charges.

“The authorities must stop using independent civil society organisations as scapegoats for all the ills of Egypt,” said Hadj Sahraoui, adding that “banning contacts with international ‘entities’ invokes Mubarak-era practices that the current president had pledged to break from”.

“We are urging the Egyptian authorities to ensure that any legislation to replace the NGO law is in line with international law, respects the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association, and is based on transparent consultations with human rights organisations and other NGOs,” Hadj Sahraoui said.

February 22, 2013
Human rights rapidly deteriorating in Egypt: human rights organisations

Morsi regime’s abuse of human rights worse than that of Mubarak’s, says 21 human rights groups.

A statement prepared by 21 human rights organisations Thursday evening urged President Mohamed Morsi to put an end to the rapid deterioration of human rights in Egypt.

“The human rights record over the past eight months since President Mohamed Morsi took the seat of power… are worse than it was before the revolution in the era of the former president,” the joint-statement warned.

Among the statement’s signatories are the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights and the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights.

The report said Egypt is witnessing “another version of an authoritarian regime, with special features”.

One such “feature” is the use of torture by members of the ruling Freedom and Justice Party on civilian protesters. During former president Hosni Mubarak’s regime, the human rights organisations concluded, such dirty work conducted by security forces and paid citizens.

The levels of attacks on the media during Morsi’s tenure and on the independence of the judiciary are also new phenomena, according to the statement.

The report echoes another report issued by the Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies last October, which stated concerns over the government’s handling of human rights abuses. As it was in October, the statement said, the issue of human rights still rests beyond the circle of attention today.

The rights groups’ statement also criticised Morsi for not including human rights violations as a concern in during first 100 days as president, and for not taking advantage of proposed initiatives by several human rights groups at the beginning of his tenure.

The statement declared that the governments continuation of current policies and practices “will lead to more serious threats and attacks against a number of fundamental rights”. Such rights include the right to peaceful assembly and the collective exercise of political and social protest, currently under threat from the new draft protest law being deliberated by the Shura Council.

The right to association and the freedom to function as a collective association in accordance to international standards, the right to form independent trade unions and pluralism of unions, freedom of belief and religious practice of non-Sunni Muslims as well as the rights of religious and non-religious minorities are also under threat, according to the statement.

The 21 organisations also said freedom of the press and flow of information are also under threat, as are women’s rights and the right to a fair trial.

“Unfortunately, the worst fears of this report have been achieved,” the statement said. Morsi’s 22 November constitutional declaration and the appointment of a prosecutor general undermined the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

“Imposing a state of emergency without the need to do so [in the Suez Canal region] violates international standards of human rights,” the report said, adding that the continuing practice of torture and systematic insult to the dignity of citizens, “as well as the protection and praise given to security officers by the Ministry of Interior and the presidency for their performance… allows for the propagation of impunity and creates a relapse in the human rights situation in Egypt”.

The signatories criticised the Freedom and Justice Party’s attack on the media, which has led to more cases being filed against journalists for insulting the president than all other leaders combined in the past 100 years.

In reaction to these issues and more, the human rights organisations demanded the government establish an independent commission comprised of “the most prominent professional competencies in Egypt in regards to constitutional law and human rights – regardless of political affiliations or religious views – to review the new constitution”.

They also recommended the government allow for a new prosecutor general to be appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, as per law. Investigations into torture at the hands of police and other groups in prisons and other such places were also demanded.

The active targeting of protesters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the increased rape and sexual assault of women must also be halted, the statement declared.

The restructuring of the National Council for Human Rights to comply with international standards, as well as investigations into officials and Brotherhood leaders involved in attacking protesters are also key demands.

Yasmin Hossam, a lawyer with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights working on documented cases of torture by police and other groups, said there is plenty of evidence which incriminates the Muslim Brotherhood and the police in the kidnapping of protesters. “Morsi’s government is trying to use violence against demonstrators as a weapon to settle things down until the upcoming elections,” she said, adding that the kidnapping of activists and protesters are a tool to settle the community until they can secure the elections.

“We demand the government act,” Yasmin said. “But we know they will not since they are behind these attacks to begin with.”

February 22, 2013
Moussa: Economic initiative will save Egypt

Amr Moussa offers solutions for Egyptian economy’s crisis
(File photo by AFP / Bulentkilic)

Amr Moussa, the head of the Congress Party and founding member of the National Salvation Front, said late Wednesday night that the current economic situation in Egypt is the largest problem facing the nation. In a press release he said he launched an economic initiative that, “if implemented by the government, would save Egypt from a huge and unexpected economic shock”.

Part of Moussa’sinitiative, according to the press release, involves an international conference called for by the government to discuss long and short term economic aid. The objective of such a conference would be to secure $12bn now and a further $100bn over the next five years.

Moussa called on the government to seriously consider the proposal, stressing that the international community is willing to assist Egypt in this regard.

He also said a government comprised of all national forces must be created, declaring that the current government is ill-prepared and unable to deal with the “largest crisis in Egypt’s modern history”.

“We asked the government to postpone parliamentary elections for a specific period of time,” Moussa said. “Because the president insists on holding elections on time, however, elections should be conducted by a neutral third party, supervised by the judiciary under civilian control.”He also said international presence is important, in addition to the presence of the armed forces.

Referencing the new election law, which the Constitutional Court recently declared had five unconstitutional articles, Moussa said the court’s decision needs to be respected and the Shura Council needs to modify the law according to recommendations made by the court.

Moussa, a former presidential candidate, was also critical of the government’s handling of events in Port Said, saying when the demands of the people are ignored, the situation is then exacerbated. “Port Said has struggled and suffered greatly,” he said, adding that their demands need to be taken into account and a comprehensive plan for each point of contention raised must be formulated and worked on immediately.

He defended Port Said residents’civil disobedience, calling it a legitimate form of protest so long as demands are not met and change does not occur.

Moussa appealed to the government to be transparent with the people, stressing it must disclose the truth about the country’s current crisis to the people.

February 21, 2013
EIPR says police carry live ammunition

EIPR found that by law police are allowed to carry a substantial amount of live ammunition both on their person and within their vehicles (file photo)
AFP Photo / Mohammed Abed

In response to claims by protesters and civil groups that the police use live ammunition, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) published segments of resolutions which govern the arming of security forces.

The EIPR found that by law police are allowed to carry a substantial amount of live ammunition both on their person and within their vehicles. This statement contradicts the official position taken by the Ministry of Interior, which has claimed security forces do not use live ammunition and has said security forces are inadequately armed.

The law the EIPR referred to is the ministerial decree 156 of 1964 on the regulation and use of firearms. Under this decree police officers are permitted to use live ammunition to disperse protesters. Combined with the third administrative decree of 2007, which regulates the arming of Central Security Forces (CSF) and private security, as well as the third administrative decree from 2000 which regulates the arming of public security forces, the EIPR concluded that all formations of security include a certain amount of live ammunition, and that all vehicles used by these forces contain a wealth of live ammunition.

Every police officer, EIPR pointed out, also carries a 9mm pistol with live ammunition.

The EIPR, the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, the Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information filed a case against the implementation of these laws in February 2012. The case, according to EIPR, will be brought to the Administrative Court on 26 February.

KarimEnnarah, a researcher at the EIPR, said there is no question police officers carry guns. “There is plenty of evidence on video,” he said, adding that the ministry tries to impose an alternate reality through the media. “Any riot police unit has to have at least one AK 47 in the car,” he added. “This doesn’t necessarily mean they have instructions to use them but you can’t have riot police without AK 47s in their arsenal for their protection.”

Ennarah said the EIPR believes one of the main problems of policing in Egypt is the fact that they carry so many arms, which ultimately leads to collateral damage. “There is very little regulation and what we see as the problem, they see as the solution,” he said, adding the police see themselves as being in conflict with the population.

Recent protests organised by the police demanded the Ministry of Interior arm officers with live ammunition to counter the growing violence directed at police officers. Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim agreed to supply police officers with 100,000 pistols to arm personnel facing “extremely dangerous criminals” as police said they could not defend public institutions with teargas alone.

Following the violence in Port Said after a court handed the death sentence to 21 people in connection to the Port Said football massacre last year two police officers were killed defending the prison in which many of the convicted suspects were being held. Violence broke out immediately after the verdict, at which point protesters attempted to storm the prison. More than 30 people died that day in Port Said.

If the court rules in favour of the lawsuit, the decision would repeal Law 156 of 1964 and force the government to issue new legislation a or decree which regulates the right to bear and use firearms by security personnel.

February 21, 2013
Al-Shafa’i released

Al-Shafa’i is a mill employee in Suez who was arrested nearly three weeks ago by security forces. He is accused of attacking the police during protests on 25 January.
(File Photo) (Photo by Hassan Ghoneima/DNE)

The Suez Criminal Court released imprisoned activist Nasir Al-Shafa’i on Tuesday, after the court ruled there was not enough evidence to keep him imprisoned until a final verdict can be handed.

Al-Shafa’i is a mill employee in Suez who was arrested nearly three weeks ago by security forces. He is accused of attacking the police during protests on 25 January.

Al-Shafa’i was detained for four days before appearing in court. He remained imprisoned for 15 more days before the court decided there was insufficient evidence to keep him detained, explained Mohamed Fadel, a lawyer at the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights.

Fadel said although Al-Shafa’i was released, the case is still open and being investigated.

He added that the next court date has yet to be announced, as investigations are ongoing.

Last week protesters and family members of Al-Shafa’i took to the streets in Suez to protest his incarceration, saying charges against him were false.

February 19, 2013
Iran supports Egyptian solution to Syria

$Morsi discussed with his Turkish and Iranian counterpart ways in which they could end the conflict during last OIC summit (File Photo)(AFP\Photo)$
Morsi discussed with his Turkish and Iranian counterpart ways in which they could end the conflict during last OIC summit
(File Photo)(AFP\Photo)

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast has said Egypt’s proposed plan for a solution to the Syrian civil war is closely aligned with that of Iran. The statement was made during a weekly press briefing, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Mehmanparast said Iran would be considering the plan before submitting its final views to Egyptian officials. He noted that during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ad hoc summit held in Mecca last year President Mohamed Morsi had proposed the creation of the Syrian quartet, comprising of Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

While the quartet has held three meetings thus far, Saudi Arabia has not sent a representative since it attended the first meeting. Talks have since then stalled.

In the last OIC summit, held in Cairo, Morsi met with the Turkish president Abdullah Gul and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the meeting Morsi discussed with his Turkish and Iranian counterpart ways in which they could end the conflict. During the summit, Morsi said the situation in Syria was “painful” and that foreign ministers continued to discuss possible scenarios to end the violence.

The details of Morsi’s “solution” are currently unknown, but the president has promised to announce “these procedures once they are finalised, and hopefully it won’t take long”, he said.

During his last meeting with the Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Morsi said all meetings with Iran so far have revolved around the Syrian crisis.

Additional reporting by Ethar Shalaby

February 19, 2013
Foreign minister discusses Fatah-Hamas reconciliation

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr & Azzam Al-Ahmed discussed developments in the reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas
(File Photo)
( AFP – Photo)

Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr met with Azzam Al-Ahmed, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, on Monday. In their meeting they discussed developments in the reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Kamel Amr confirmed that the Palestinian issue is a primary concern for Egypt, and the government is maintaining contact with all the regional and international powers involved.

Egypt has played a significant role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, brokering the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last year and organising the 2011 prisoner swap which saw the release of more than 1,000 Palestinians in exchange for an Israeli soldier.

The British Minister of Foreign Affairs Alistair Burt also contacted Kamel Amr to discuss the situation, which included discussions on “ways to revive the Palestinian cause towards the achievement of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people”.

Hamas and Fatah recently met in Cairo to discuss the possibility of reconciliation based on the Doha Agreement, signed by both sides in February last year. Although previous talks surrounding reconciliation have created no changes so far, both sides have expressed optimism in the current round of discussions.

Israel, however, has expressed doubt that these discussions will bear any fruit due to the ideological schism between the Palestinian factions.

On Monday evening Khaled Meshaal, head of the Hamas political bureau, said that Egypt was in constant contact with Israel to end the suffering of Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger strike, state-run news agency MENA reported.

Of the four Palestinians on hunger strike Meshaal singled out Ayman Al-Sharawna, who began his hunger strike in July last year. According to MENA, Meshaal promised Al-Sharawna’s family a solution to the crisis was close.

According to the Israel Prison Service there were 4,517 Palestinians imprisoned as of December last year, 178 of whom are being held in administrative detention without charge or trial. There are also 170 prisoners under the age of 18.

Although publicly President Mohamed Morsi and the government have expressed strong support for the Palestinian cause, the army continues to crack down on smuggling tunnels in the Sinai border region with the Gaza Strip.

These tunnels supply the Gaza Strip with weapons and ammunition, as well as medical supplies and other essential goods, and provide jobs for thousands of people in the Gaza Strip. The tunnels provide jobs and a large percentage of necessities the Gaza Strip relies on.

Linguist and political analyst Noam Chomsky calls the Gaza Strip is called the world’s largest open-air prison, due to the blockade imposed by Egypt and Israel. In effect the blockade cuts the Gaza Strip off from the rest of the world, crippling the area economically and making its inhabitants reliant on goods allowed to pass through the border by the Israeli government.

February 19, 2013
Libya arrests Egyptian for spreading Christianity

The four were arrested on 12 February, and could face the death penalty under laws enacted by the former leader Muammar Gaddafi
Photograph: Mahmud Turkia/AFP/Getty Images

An Egyptian and three other foreigners were arrested in Libya for proselytising. The four were arrested on 12 February, and could face the death penalty under laws enacted by the former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

“Proselytising is forbidden in Libya. We are a 100% Muslim country and this kind of action affects our national security,” security official Hussein Bin Hmeid told Reuters.

The four have not been sentenced yet, as investigators continue to gather evidence. Nevertheless all four have received consular support from their respective countries; Egypt, the United States, South Africa and South Korea.

Local news agencies have reported the four were producing pamphlets that explained Christianity and security officials are said to be focusing on the distribution of these pamphlets.

The arrest is the first of its kind since Libya’s revolution toppled Gaddafi. Officially there are no ethnic Libyan Christians in the country. A large majority of the Christian population is Egyptian and according to the national census all other faiths present in Libya are worshipped only by the expatriate community.

Attacks on religious minorities have taken place in Libya, most commonly directed at Sufi Muslims, who have had their places of worship demolished. Since Gaddafi’s death, such attacks have become more common.

The Egyptian embassy in Libya said they are not authorised to comment on the issue, directing queries instead to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry however could not be reached.

February 18, 2013