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EOHR condemns Emergency State Security Court's trial of Hizb el-Tahrir defendants
25/3/2004
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) expresses its condemnation of the sentences handed down by the Emergency State Security Court to twenty-six Hizb el-Tahrir defendants including three Britons, and one defendant who was tried in absentia.
The sentences range from one year's imprisonment with hard labour to five years' imprisonment. They were also made liable for legal costs and lawyers' fees.
The facts of the case began in 2002 when the twenty-six were arrested between the end of March and early April.
They were taken to the Cairo Emergency State Security Court on the 4th August 2002 and charged with the following:
- Spreading in writing and verbally, the ideas of Hizb el-Tahrir, an illegal organisation, (the Egyptian authorities banned Hizb el-Tahrir in 1974 after the "Military College" events.
The organisation was founded in Jordan in the 1950s).
- Promoting the scrapping of Egypt's Constitutional provisions and laws, and for the prevention of national institutions from carrying out their work,
- Accusing the Egyptian Government of infidelity and authorising actions against it intended to overthrow it,
- Working towards the creation of what is known as an Islamic Caliphate.
The case was registered on the 25/12/2003 but the Court postponed consideration of the case until 25/3/2004 extending the investigation to two full years during which time the defendants remained in prison.
EOHR calls for the following:
1. The cancellation of emergency state security courts formed upon a Presidential decree and according to Law 162 of the Code on Civil Laws [1958] and its amendments. These exceptional courts allow no appeal of its judgements - only the President has the power to overturn verdicts, order retrials and cancel punishments.
Verdicts are not considered final until they have been ratified by the President.
2. A guarantee of the right to a fair trial before a natural judge, and that every individual enjoys his full legal rights including the right to appeal.
3. An end to the Emergency Law in force since 1981 which is automatically renewed every three years within justification. The Egyptian Government claims it is necessary to fight terrorism, but instead the Emergency Law attacks the right to a fair and impartial trial as guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution and international human rights agreements.
EOHR launched its campaign against the Emergency Law "together to stop the Emergency Law" at the beginning of 2003.
Names of the twenty-six and the sentences they received:
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Copyright © 2002 EOHR. All rights reserved. 