EOHR Demands Two Members of The National Center for Housing Rights to be Urgently released

EOHR follows up the ongoing detention of the two members of The National Center for Housing Rights; Hany Reyad and Tamer Sulliman on 26/12/2002.

Noteworthy is that  a verdict was issued on December 12, 2002 to release the aforementioned with the grantees of their residence; however they are still detained at the security directorate of Sohag. EOHR received information that the security body at Sohag had order their deportation on December 12, 2002 before ordering their return to Sohag again in order to be released from their constituency. They are to be deported next Saturday January 4, 2003.

The case began as the aforementioned headed for Nag’ Alsheikh Hamid at Sohag directorate where the drainage channels collapsed and flooded the whole area. They met with some officials who asked for certain documents concerning the mission they were performing. With the assistance of one of the members of the peoples’ assembly at Sohag directorate, a meeting with the general secretary of the directorate was arranged for. They were arrested before the meeting, during their being at the premises of the directorate. They were presented before the prosecution at dawn without the presence of their attorneys. They mentioned that they were subjected to humiliating treatment by the prosecution which charged them with impersonating and inciting riot. They were mistreated as the papers they had was confiscated though it was just pieces of the Egyptian newspapers concerning the fact finding mission ,a camera, some photos of the accident, a book available in Egypt and Reyad’s press ID.

 As soon as EOHR received the information, it reported to the interior minister and sent its lawyer to Sohag to present during the investigations as well.

Due to the information EOHR has, the ongoing detention of the aforementioned violates article 40 of the Criminal Procedure Code, article 280 of the Penal Code, which prohibits suspending, arresting or detaining any person without a legal order of the judicial authorities or the public prosecution. Thus EOHR addresses both the general prosecutor and the interior minister to necessarily intervene in order to guarantee the implementation of the verdict release of Hani Reyad and Tamer Suliman in respect to the legitimacy principles and sovereignty of law.