Human Rights First Welcomes Acquittal of
Ashraf Ibrahim

March 16, 200

NEW YORK – Human Rights First welcomes the acquittal of political activist Ashraf Ibrahim by a Higher Emergency State Security Court, on March 11, 2004. Ibrahim was detained on April 19, 2003, in Cairo, and held without charge until August 10. He was then charged with seeking to overthrow the Egyptian government by leading a revolutionary socialist group, and with disseminating false information abroad harmful to Egypt's interests. Four others - Nasr Farouq al-Bahiri, Yahya Firi Amin Zahra, Mustafa Muhammad al-Basiuni, and Rimon Edward Gindi Morgan - were also acquitted of charges of leading a revolutionary socialist group.

The charges against Ibrahim were related to his non-violent activities participating in political protests against the war in Iraq, and in particular to his gathering information about mass arrests of hundreds of people and other repressive measures taken by the government in the aftermath of demonstrations in Cairo in March 2003, against the war. Sending information to international human rights organizations was listed as among the offenses that Ibrahim was alleged to have committed. In September 2003, Human Rights First issued an alert about the case, concerned by the implications of the charges against Ibrahim for basic rights and freedoms in Egypt. [See Human Rights First Advocacy Alert, September 18, 2003, available at http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/middle_east/egypt/alert091803.htm

While Human Rights First is pleased that Mr. Ibrahim and his co-defendants have been acquitted of all charges, it considers his arrest and detention for almost a year to be a violation of international human rights standards, including the rights to freedom of expression and association. Moreover, the right to promote human rights, to obtain information about human rights and to discuss and draw public attention to the observance or violation of human rights is protected by the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, of 1998. Human Rights First calls upon the Egyptian government to ensure respect for its obligations under international human rights law, and to end its harassment of non-violent critics and human rights defenders.