Saad Eddin Ibrahim’s Deteriorating Health Requires His Immediate Release from Prison

 

October 16, 2002

Egyptian sociologist and human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim began serving a seven year prison term after his conviction on groundless charges on July 29, 2002. He is being held at Tora Prison, just south of Cairo. Three of his colleagues from the Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies were convicted on similar charges and are now also serving prison terms.

Since his initial arrest in June 2000 Dr. Ibrahim’s health has deteriorated progressively. In particular, he has suffered a number of small strokes and his ability to walk and to perform dexterous tasks with his hands has been impaired. After his previous release from prison on appeal in February 2002, and throughout his retrial between April and July 2002, Dr. Ibrahim’s lawyers requested permission for Dr. Ibrahim to travel abroad for medical tests and treatment, but no response was received from the authorities.

On September 25, 2002 Dr. Ibrahim slipped and fell while walking in the prison yard. He broke his ankle, and it is feared that he may have suffered a further stroke. On September 27, 2002 his lawyers made an appeal for suspension of his prison term on medical grounds to the competent authorities.

Earlier in September, Dr. Ibrahim’s lawyers lodged an appeal to the Court of Cassation to review the decision of the State Security Court. Dr. Ibrahim won an earlier appeal to this court in February 2002, when the case was remanded to the trial court. This time, the case cannot be remanded, and the Court of Cassation, if it grants the appeal, will have to render a new verdict itself. The timing of the appeal hearing is as yet unknown, but the defendants’ lawyers have requested an expedited hearing.

Human Rights First is calling for the immediate release of Saad Eddin Ibrahim from prison on medical grounds. Further imprisonment risks seriously damaging his health. Human Rights First continues to call for the dismissal of the charges against all the defendants. Failing that, all of the prisoners should be released from prison pending their appeal.

Please take action through our website or by taking the following steps.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send politely worded letters to the Egyptian officials listed below calling for the immediate release from prison of Saad Eddin Ibrahim on urgent medical grounds. Also call for the release of all prisoners from this case pending their appeal hearing, and ask for the appeal to be heard expeditiously:

Addresses:

His Excellency Mohammad Hosni Mubarak
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Abedine Palace
Cairo, Egypt.
Telex: 93794 WAZRA UN
Fax 20 2 390 1998
webmaster@presidency.gov.eg

His Excellency Faruq Sayf Al-Nasr
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Midan Lazoghly
Cairo, Egypt
Fax: 20 2 795 81 03
E-mail: mojeb@idsc.gov.eg

Copies to:

Please send copies of your letters to your diplomatic representatives in Egypt and to diplomatic representatives of Egypt in your country. For people in the United States these are:

Ambassador Nabil Fahmy
Embassy of Egypt
3521 International Court, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 202-895-5400
Fax: 202-244-4319/5131
Email: embassy@egyptembdc.org

Ambassador C. David Welch
U.S. Embassy
Northgate 8 Kamal El Din Salah St.
Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 795 7371
Fax: 202 795 73200
Email: consularcairo@state.gov