They were among a group of students, both foreign and Egyptian, arrested at around the end of November. All were interrogated and allegedly tortured in connection with the activities of a terrorist cell recruiting people in Egypt to go to fight the US-led coalition in Iraq. All were detained for some weeks at the State Security Intelligence (SSI) office in Madinet Nasr, Northern Cairo, during which time they claim that they were tortured: this included being beaten and given electric shocks to sensitive parts of their bodies while blindfolded and handcuffed. They were also prevented from sleeping and forced to watch as their cellmates were tortured.
Category: Blog
Poet Osama el-Danasori passes away
I’ve just read on Kefaya’s website that activist and poet Osama el-Danasori passed away.
I met Osama twice in my life. Once back in 2000 at leftist poet Ahmad Taha’s place, and once again only a couple of months ago at Merit’s Publishing House in downtown.
Osama was a talented poet, with a sharp sense of humour, and a passion for activism. Osama, together with Dr. Alaa el-Aswany and Khaled el-Sawy, were leading figures in Kefaya’s Artists And Writers For Change group.
Family and friends will receive mourners this Tuesday, at Omar Makram Mosque in downtown Cairo, following al-Maghreb prayers.
May he rest in peace.
US funds Fatah force expansion
The Bush administration will provide $86.4 million to strengthen security forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, as part of a plan to expand US involvement in Abbas’s power struggle with Hamas.