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Mohamed Bayoumi, an Egyptian
lawyer and a representative of the Association for Human Rights and Legal
Aid (AHRLA), received assault and intimidation acts due to his defence of
Mrs. Awleel, a Sudanese refugee in Egypt, who was assaulted and raped by
two Egyptian police officers. Last April, the Egyptian Criminal Court
issued a 25 year prison sentence to the officer who committed the rape.
On August 13, 2008, Mr. Bayoumi’s
family received a phone call at 2 a.m. claiming that he had been shot
dead in the street and that his body was in the hospital morgue. They
received this misleading phone call twice that night. Mr. Bayoumi’s
partner in the case, Mr. Mohsen, received the same phone
call at his family home. Mr. Mohsen also received a call from the accused
officer’s wife stating: “Tell Mr. Mohamed Bayoumi to end this case now”.
According to the information
received, during the last two months, Mr. Bayoumi has been subjected to
numerous acts of violence and intimidation and his family has been
harassed through the connections of, or directly by, accused Egyptian
police officer. Thus, in July 2008, Mr. Bayoumi was offered L.E 50,000 by
the police officer in order to cancel the claim against him, but Mr.
Bayoumi refused the bribe. Two weeks ago, on August 2, 2008, he was
stopped in the street by relatives of the police officer who beat his leg
and stole the case file of Mrs. Awleel. Mr. Bayoumi was able to get a
copy of the file from the court.
Action requested:
Please write to the Egyptian
authorities to urge them to:
1.
Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological
integrity of Mr. Mohamed Bayoumi, his relatives and colleagues;
2.
Order a thorough and impartial investigation into the
above-mentioned threats and acts of intimidation, in order to identify
all those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial
tribunal and apply to them the penal sanctions provided by the law;
3.
Put an end to the harassment against all human rights defenders in
Egypt;
4.
Conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in
particular its Articles 1, which states that “everyone has the right,
individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for
the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms
at the national and international levels”, and 12.2, which provides that
“the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by
the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association
with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto
or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other
arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of
the rights referred to in the [...] Declaration”;
5.
Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights
standards and international instruments ratified by Egypt.
Addresses:
·
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Mohammad
Hosni Mubarak, Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail:
webmaster@presidency.gov.eg, Fax: +202 390 1998
·
Prime Minister Mr. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohamed Nazif, Magles El Shaab
Street, Kasr El Aini Street, Cairo, Egypt. Fax: + 202 735 6449 / 7958016. Email: primemin@idsc.gov.eg
·
Minister of the Interior, General Habib Ibrahim Habib El Adly,
Ministry of the Interior, El-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo,
Egypt, E-mail: moi1@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 579 2031 / 794 5529
·
Minister of Justice, Mr. Mamdoh Mohie E-din Marie, Ministry of
Justice, Magles El Saeb Street, Wezaret Al Adl, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail:
mojeb@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 795 8103
Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Maher Abd al-Wahid, Dar al-Qadha
al-Ali, Ramses Street, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +202 577
TAKE ACTION NOW
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