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Civil society activist Farid Zahran
stopped from travelling for security reasons
18/3/2004
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) is deeply concerned about the security forces' prevention of the Director of Dar al-Mahroussa Press Farid Zahran, an Egyptian civil society activist, from attending a conference in Beirut. The conference, entitled "is the Arab world interested in Democratic Reform and the strengthening of democracy?", has been organised by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies in co-operation with the Federation Internationale des ligues des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) and the Euro-Mediterranean Network. It will be held from the 19th - 22nd March 2004.
According to information received by EOHR Zahran presented an application for permission to attend the Beirut conference on the 14th March 2004 but was refused.
EOHR presented a complaint to the office of the Prosecutor General on the 17th March demanding that Zahran be allowed to travel given that Arab and international organisations will be attending the conference.
No decision has as yet been taken.
EOHR is disquieted by the security forces' extensive practice of adding the names of human rights, civil society and political activists to a list of individuals banned from travelling.
It considers this a blatant violation of the Egyptian Constitution, which, in Article 41 provides that "personal freedom is a natural and inviolable right.
Except in case of flagrante delicto, no-one may be arrested, searched, detained, have restrictions imposed on his freedom or be prevented from free movement except by upon an order necessitated by investigation and the security of society. This order is issued by a qualified judge or the office of the Prosecutor General according to the law."
EOHR demands that the Egyptian authorities take the legal procedures necessary to annul the list of individuals banned from travelling and calls on all civil society human rights associations to unite in demanding this in accordance with the provisions of the Egyptian Constitution and international human rights treaties.
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