I received a statement from rights activists about last Saturday trial of State Security Captain Ashraf Safwat, who tortured to death citizen Muhammad Abdel Qader in Hadayek el-Qobba Police Station in 2003. (Click on the banner below for background about the case)
The Human Rights Coalition for Monitoring the Trial of State Security Officer
Press Release
Cairo on February 5th 2007
The Head Forensic Doctor Testifies in the Trial of State Security Officer
The Victim’s Family Did Not Show up
The Coalition for Monitoring the Trial, formed by the undersigned, attended and observed the trial session held on 3/2/2007 at the Cairo Criminal Court in the Case No 4681 for the year 2004, of State Security Investigation officer Captain Ashraf Mostafa Hussein Safwat, charged with torturing victim late Mr. Mohammed Abdel Qader El Sayed.
The Coalition regretted the Court’s refusal to register the presence of its members in the minutes. The Court did not allow cameras of news channels into the Court Hall, in breach of the principle of the publicity of court hearings and the right of people to obtain knowledge.
The Court heard the testimony of the head forensic doctor and debated with the witness, the Defense followed suit. The Court decided to defer the case to the 5th of May 2007 session to hear the Defense argumentation. Meanwhile, members of the victim’s family did not attend the session.
The Coalition emphasizes that the individual right to life, freedom and security in person, and the right to physical integrity would not be complete unless there were definite guarantees that these rights would not be derogated from if the individual were assaulted, and that when the case is such, society would not leave him/her and his/her family to suffer from the repercussions of this assault unaided and would not exhibit any interest in his/her fate.
The Coalition declares that it adheres tightly to the right to fair trial, where all the guarantees and rights of both parties, whether the accused officer or the victim’s family, would be ensured. The Coalition also indicates that it will continue to closely observe the court proceedings until the ruling is passed, then would issue a report addressed to public opinion.
The Coalition for Monitoring the Trial has been formed upon the request of the Association of Legal Assistance for Human Rights, which had adopted the case since 2003. The Association cast doubts over the practices of State Security Investigation Service, where pressure was brought to bear on relatives of suspects to force them to cancel powers of attorney they had issued for lawyers of the Association and to waiver their civil right. Furthermore, the victim’s brother was arrested as per the Emergency Law.
Organizations making up the Coalition:
The Egyptian Association for the Elimination of Torture
The Arab Network for Human Rights Information
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
The National Center for Law and Human Rights
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
The Committee for the Defense of Freedoms in the Egyptian Bar Association
Earth Center for Human Rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Al Nadim Center for Psychological Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
Mr. Mahmoud Qandil, Attorney At Law