Ibrahim, a sociology professor and leading advocate for democracy and human rights in Egypt, received the stiffest sentence of the five defendants - seven years hard labor. The sentence against Ibrahim, who will be one of two advocates honored at Human Rights First’s annual human rights dinner in October, was equivalent to the one that was handed down in his original trial in May 2001.

“Dr. Ibrahim’s conviction and imprisonment sends a chilling message: the Egyptian government will not tolerate public criticism of its repressive policies, and its failure to uphold the basic freedoms of its people,” said Neil Hicks, director of Human Rights First’s Special Initiative on Human Rights in the Middle East.

Ibrahim was tried on three offenses: receiving foreign funding without permission; embezzlement; and tarnishing Egypt’s image abroad.

“These charges are either baseless, or transparently politically motivated,” added Hicks. “Nonetheless, they have been sufficient to send a 63-year-old leading public figure to prison for seven years with hard labor.”

“The charge of tarnishing Egypt’s image abroad is absurd,” continued Hicks. “Nothing has done more to tarnish Egypt’s image abroad than its targeting of a distinguished academic and social commentator who has devoted his career to advancing democracy and human rights. Dr. Ibrahim enjoys a global reputation for his work on democratization, civil society and the rights of religious minorities in Egypt and the Middle East.”

Neil Hicks of Human Rights First attended Dr. Ibrahim's retrial in Cairo in May. He is an expert on human rights in the Middle East.