Cablegate: Ruling On Ayman Nour's Health Parole Delayed Until

VZCZCXRO6157
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #1949 1771458
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261458Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5835
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS CAIRO 001949

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR WATERS AND DAVIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: RULING ON AYMAN NOUR'S HEALTH PAROLE DELAYED UNTIL
JULY 3

REF: A. CAIRO 1931

B. CAIRO 1934
C. CAIRO 1625

1. (SBU) At the June 26 hearing of imprisoned Al Ghad Party
leader Ayman Nour's appeal for health parole, Mohamed al
Husseini (presiding judge of the State Council's
Administrative Court) ruled that he could not yet issue a
decision on Nour's case, because a governmental forensic
medical committee has not provided an assessment of the
health of Ahmed Mazloum (a 22-year old imprisoned drug
dealer, also appealing for health parole, whose case was tied
to Nour's in the May 31 ruling of Judge Adel Gomaa at the
Cairo Criminal Court). Husseini, noting that Mazloum is
allegedly paralyzed and suffering from maggot-infested sores
due to his being bed-ridden in prison, asked that the
forensic committee provide an immediate report on Mazloum's
health. Husseini said that the court will hear Nour and
Mazloum's appeals again on July 3.

2. (SBU) Mid-way through the hearing, the lead government
prosecutor delivered a belligerent soliloquy complaining
about the presence of "foreign observers" in the courtroom
(poloff was in attendance, along with UK and Canadian
poloffs). The state prosecutor singled out poloff, noting,
"It is ridiculous and illegal that foreign observers should
be in this courtroom! We hold Egyptian judges in such high
esteem that they are above having the First Secretary of the
U.S. Embassy trying to oversee them." Judge Husseini
responded that this was a public hearing, and therefore
anyone who wants to can attend, and that the state lawyer
should "speak about issues related to the case at hand, not
such irrelevant matters." The state prosecutor left in an
apparent huff, and the courtroom, which was packed with Al
Ghad supporters, burst into cheers.

RICCIARDONE

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