AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

View Alerts By > Case | Date | Country | Victim

AAAS Human Rights Action Network

View the digitally signed version of this alert.

FACTS OF THE CASE:

On 27 April 2002, the retrial of Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim began in Cairo. Over a year ago he was convicted of intentionally harming the image of the State abroad. However in February 2002 Egypt's highest appeals court granted a retrial after finding six different aspects of the original court's decision to be flawed. Dr. Ibrahim's retrial coincides with a recent amendment to Egyptian law that will further suppress civil rights in Egypt.

Dr. Ibrahim is a sociology professor at the American University in Cairo and is the founder and director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies. He was originally convicted in May 2001 for illegally accepting funds from the European Union, designated for a pro-democracy documentary that details corruption in Egypt's voting practices. Dr. Ibrahim has been accused of deliberately disseminating false information and malicious rumors about the internal affairs of the State, and harming the image of the State abroad. The court sentenced Dr. Ibrahim to seven years in prison without explaining for which counts he had been found guilty. The defense team has repeatedly suggested that charges against Dr. Ibrahim are politically motivated.

During the retrial, Dr. Ibrahim claims that his lawyers have not been allowed to enter the Ibn Khaldun Center, thus denying them access to vital evidence. Four witnesses testified, but upon cross-examination, their memories suddenly became muddled and were unable to offer firm answers. The defense witness Amina Shafiq, a prominent Al-Ahram journalist, attested to Ibrahim's financial integrity and claimed she has no knowledge of his alleged misuse of foreign funding. The defense team focused mostly on representing Dr. Ibrahim's character in a favorable light during the first trial, but during the retrial, in addition to providing character witnesses, his lawyers feel confident that they will be more successful by addressing specific charges and refuting the prosecution's case.

Dr. Ibramin's lawyers asked the court to reopen the Center, which has been closed since June 2000. They further requested that the court order restricting his travel outside of Egypt be lifted so he can seek medical treatment for a degenerative neurological disorder. The next hearing is set for 25 June 2002.

The Lawyers Committee's Human Rights Defenders Project is concerned that the trial of Dr. Ibrahim will have "a chilling impact on other Egyptian human rights organizations and activists, who work in constant fear of prosecution for their legitimate activities." The timing of the trial coincides with the ratification of an amended law on 3 June 2002, that gives the Ministry of Social Affairs the authority to dismantle an NGO without having to go through the court system. The speed with which the law passed was a shock for much of the public. The upper house of parliament approved the 75 articles of the law in just two days. The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights stated, "this law specifically targets human rights groups. It will give the government wider powers to control our work. It will kill Egypt's civil society."

Suppressing legitimate political debate is in direct violation of several international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Egypt ratified on 4 August 1967. This action is also contrary to Article 6 of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the Defenders Declaration) adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 8 March 1998. Although not legal binding, the Defenders Declaration directly affirms the international standard of protecting the rights of human rights defenders, like Dr. Ibrahim.

(Sources of information for this case include: Associated Press, Democracy-Egypt www.democracy-egypt.org, Inter Press Service, Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights, and United Press International.)

RELEVANT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• Article 19(1): Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
• Article 14(1): All persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against him [or her], or of his [or her] rights and obligations in a suit at law, everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law.

The Human Rights Defenders Declaration

• Article 6(a): Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: To know, seek, obtain, receive and hold information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including having access to information as to how those rights and freedoms are given effect in domestic legislative, judicial or administrative systems.
• Article 6(b): Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: As provided for in human rights and other applicable international instruments, freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• Article 6(c): Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send faxes, letters, or emails:

• Expressing your concern that the charges against Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim appear to be part of a larger attempt by Egyptian authorities to stifle political dissent and intimidate human rights defenders;
• Requesting that all charges against Dr. Ibrahim be dropped, as it appears that he is being charged solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression; and
• Expressing your concern about the potential detrimental effects that the revised NGO law will have on constitutional rights and civil society in Egypt.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

His Excellency Mohammed Hosni Mubarak
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Abdeen Palace
Cairo, EGYPT
Fax: 011 20 2 390 1998
webmaster@presidency.gov.eg
Salutation: Your Excellency

The Honorable Farouk Seif El Nasr
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Midan Lazoghly
Cairo, EGYPT
Fax: 011 20 2 355 8103
Salutation: Dear Mr. Minister

COPIES SENT TO:

The Honorable David Welch
The Ambassador of the United States of America
Embassy of the United States
5 Latin America Street
Garden City
Cairo, EGYPT
Fax: 011 20 2 797 3200
Salutation: Dear Mr. Ambassador

Ambassador Nabil Fahmy
Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt
The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
3521 International Ct. NW
Washington,DC 20008
Fax: (202) 244 5131
embassy@egyptembdc.org
Salutation: Dear Mr. Ambassador

Please send copies of your appeals, and any responses you may receive, or direct any questions you may have to Victoria Baxter, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. 202-326-6797; email vbaxter@aaas.org; or fax 202-289-4950.

The keys to effective appeals are to be courteous and respectful, accurate and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific organization and professional affiliation is always helpful.

To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.

To verify the contents of this alert and/or the electronic signature, please download the signed file for this alert along with the Program's PGP Public Key.

Main | CSFR Letters | Science and Human Rights Program