Egypt: Mixed signals - arrests of political opponents amidst talks of political reform
Amnesty International is concerned about the recent arrests and detention of political activists in Egypt, as the
ruling party and opposition parties enter into a "national dialogue" on political reform ahead of the presidential and
parliamentary elections in September and October.
On 29 January, Ayman Nour, a member of parliament and leader of the newly recognized opposition party, al-Ghad
(Tomorrow), was arrested immediately after he was stripped of his parliamentary immunity. He reported having been
kicked, pushed and punched below the right eye by state security officers in front of the National Assembly, Egypt’s
parliament. His house and office were reportedly searched the same day.
He is accused of having forged more than a thousand signatures (of the power of attorney ‘Tawkil’) in an application
seeking his party’s legal registration. Ayman Nour denies these accusations. On 31 January, the Supreme State Security
prosecution services extended his detention order for 45 days, pending investigations. The arrest is reported to be
connected to Ayman Nour’s outspoken stance on the need for constitutional amendments to allow more than one candidate to
run for the presidency ahead of the presidential elections.
Amnesty International is also concerned over the reported arrest and detention of nine alleged members of the banned
Muslim Brothers organization which is not known to have used or advocated violence. The nine men, who included
physicians, university professors and engineers, were arrested early in the morning of 31 January in the al-Shaqiyya
District, north of the capital Cairo. Those arrested are members of different professions, including. They are
reportedly accused of "membership of an illegal organization" and of seeking to raise the public profile of members of
the organization who might be candidates in the forthcoming elections to the National Assembly in October. The Supreme
State Security prosecution has ordered their detention for 15 days, pending investigations.
In this context, Amnesty International fears that the arrest of Ayman Nour and the ongoing wave of arrests of alleged
Muslim Brothers might be politically motivated. They appear to be used as a means to intimidate members of the
opposition and critics of the government and to obstruct their political activities.
The organization calls on the Egyptian government to respect its obligations under international human rights standards.
In particular, all provisions criminalizing freedom of expression and association must be removed and existing
safeguards must be respected.
Background
The "national dialogue", which was called upon by President Mubarak, is considered an unprecedented meeting between the
ruling party, the National Democratic Party, and opposition parties and is aimed to discuss ways for political reform
ahead of presidential and parliamentary election later this year. Nonetheless, political opponents and government
critics in Egypt continue to face intimidation and harassment and sometimes even imprisonment. The Egyptian authorities
frequently detain alleged political opponents for extended periods of pre-trial detention, in violation of international
law.
For instance, on 2 November 2004, ’Abd al-Halim Qandeel, editor of the opposition newspaper al-’Araby and known critic
of the government, was reportedly assaulted by men in civilian clothes as he was returning home early in the morning. He
reported that he was gagged and blindfolded, beaten and stripped before being dumped on the main motorway between Cairo
and Suez. The attack was believed to be an attempt by the authorities to stop his outspoken criticisms of the
government, including as part of the "popular movement for change" which calls for constitutional reform relating to
presidential elections and the lifting of the state of emergency which has been in place in the country for more than
two decades.
In May 2004, 60 alleged members of the banned Muslim Brothers organization were arrested in the run-up to the May 2004
elections to the Shura Council, Egypt’s Upper House. They were accused of affiliation to an unauthorized organization
and possession of anti-government leaflets, among others. Several of them were reportedly tortured for several days
after being taken from Mazra’at Tora Prison, where they were held in preventive detention, to the SSI branch in Madinat
Nasr, Cairo. They were reportedly beaten, suspended by the wrists or ankles and given electric shocks; some of them
reportedly sustained broken bones and ribs as a result. Several others were apparently denied medical attention in
prison; one prisoner, Zkram Zohairy, aged 42, reportedly died as a result. The detention order for the group was renewed
several times before all of them were released without charge in November.
View all documents on Egypt at http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maac9NzabdZzxbb0hPub/