Press release
May 28, 2003

 Forgotten After the War Against Iraq 

EOHR Calls for the Immediate Release of Five Anti-war Activists 

EOHR expresses great concern regarding the detention of five anti-war activists who have been detained by the Egyptian authorities since the middle of April.  They are: Mohammed Hassan Hassan (student), Wael Mohammed Tawfiq (journalist), Ramz Jihad (student), and Marwan Ahmad.  Each of these individuals were detained under the Emergency Law in Bourg El-Arab Prison in Alexandria.  In addition, Ashraf Ibrahim Marzouq (engineer) is currently in pre-trial detention under case #809 (2003) in Tora Prison.  He is charged with filming the demonstration and having possession of publications.  He will be presented before the State Security Prosecution on June 1, 2003.   

EOHR confirms that all of these individuals are currently enduring poor prison conditions, and are being refused visitation rights. EOHR further confirms that Ashraf Marzouq is being detained along with some 40 other prisoners in a small cell that has an area of under 15 cubic metres. EOHR is particularly concerned with the fact that there has been no communication with any of these individuals, as it is probable that they are being subjected to torture, something they were forced to endure immediately after being arrested and brought to the state security office in Lazoughly in Cairo. 

Accordingly, EOHR views the continuing detention of these individuals as a clear violation of the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression.  It moreover views the refusal of the state to grant visitation rights as a violation of national laws and international standards concerning the rights of prisoners.  Instances of torture, if proven, would also demonstrate a clear violation of the right to bodily security.  Hence, EOHR calls for the immediate release of these individuals, and the granting of permission to lawyers and family members to visit them.  

Finally, EOHR would like to emphasize that incidents like the one detailed above establish the fact that the Emergency Law in Egypt is being used to violate or suppress the right to peaceful assembly, the right to freedom of expression, and any political opposition.  This is contrary the government’s claim that such practices are only being used in the context of the fight against terrorism.