Press release
Cairo: 9/10/2003

Together against the enforcement of Emergency Law

Political Detention: Closed Door Policy

Criminal Detention: Revolving Door Policy

EOHR Report about the phenomena of Arbitrary Detention under Emergency Law

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) issues today its report on arbitrary detention entitled: “Political Detention: Closed Door Policy, Criminal Detention: Revolving Door Policy”. Such report comes within the framework of the EOHR campaign to abolish the Emergency Law which is enforced in Egypt. Arbitrary detention in all its forms, particularly “administrative detention”, is one of the grave threats to the right to freedom and personal safety. Moreover, arbitrary detention is one of the most frequent violations of human rights not only due to the imposition of the state of emergency, but also the arbitrary enforcement of the Emergency Law by the executive authorities.

The report is divided into four parts tackling the phenomenon of arbitrary detention. In part one, a review of the arbitrary detention and the emergency state is conducted in the light of the international instruments concerned with human rights. It also tackles the cases in which detention is deemed arbitrary, and the rules governing the imposition of the state of emergency – when necessary and as an exceptional action.

In part two, a review is conducted on arbitrary detention in Egypt. This part illustrates that there are thousands of political detainees who were arbitrarily detained under the Emergency Law which has turned into a governmental mechanism rather than an exceptional action. EOHR describes such kind of arbitrary detention as the policy of the closed door as it became a well established fact that the emergency authority does not heed any judicial rulings acquitting political detainees. Criminal detention is described as the policy of the revolving door as the detainee undergoes a vicious circle of detention and acquittal.

In part three, a review is conducted on other violations related to arbitrary detention which the detainees systematically undergo inside prisons and places of detention. It also tackles the impacts of detention on the families of the detainees particularly, women and children. Among such impacts are: the deteriorating conditions of living of the families of the detainees, the women-provided families as women have to work in non-official places, children’s drop out of schools and the phenomenon of child labor.

In part four, EOHR makes some recommendations on top of which is calling for abolishing the Emergency Law, implementing judicial rulings for the good of the detainees and compensating detainees for all the tort they have undergone.

Attached to the report are a table of the names of some of the political detainees who were judicially acquitted and another table with the names of some of the criminal detainees.

By issuing this report, EOHR continues revealing the grave consequences of the continuing enforcement of the Emergency Law affecting thousands of victims and their families. Furthermore, it clarifies that arbitrary detention is closely related to other forms of violation surpassing the limitations of civil and political rights. Such violations affect economic and social rights and the rights of women and children of the families of the detainees. Hence, EOHR aims that this report would contribute in enhancing the efforts aiming at abolishing the Emergency Law and implementing the state law.