Police torture, sexually abuse family in Luxor

Posted on By 3arabawy

From Ikhwan Web:

A state of rage overshadows residents of the village of Al-Baghdadi, Luxor district, after an officer, corporals and detectives affiliated to a law enforcement force at Luxor police station stormed into a house of a citizen, and tortured him and his family after sexually harassing them. This caused several bruises and injuries in several places in their bodies and led to keeping them for two days in the intensive care unit at Luxor Public Hospital; after their recovery, the family members along with their caregiver lodged dozens of complaints to Human Rights Organizations, the attorney general and the Interior Minister; an official report of the incident was written, forcing the officer to offer 10000 pounds bribe to the family members to persuade them of withdrawing their complaint; however, they refused to do so; the police chief exercised pressure on the caregiver of the family and threatened him with fabricating drug trafficking cases against him and fabricating prostitution cases against his daughters unless he withdraws the complaint.
This tragic story dates back to a Thursday dawn two weeks ago when a law enforcement officer at Luxor police station broke into the house of citizen Sayed Ahmad Ibrahim Abdullah, 54 years, a day laborer living in Shaeikh Al-Baghdadi due to a primary sentence in absentia against him; he was taken away wearing only underclothes and was sent to Luxor police station after torturing him and tearing out clothes of his wife and daughters, leading to a clash with neighboring residents who protested at these indecent acts of the police. …..
His son Hafez, 26 years old farmer, added:” When I saw the policemen and officers torturing my father, my mother and sisters, I said to the officer:” We will inform the Interior Minister of your violations; he replied: “The Interior Minister can do nothing because we are carrying out orders and instructions; then they tied me with a rope and beat me and tore all my clothes even my underclothes in front of my sisters.”

Solidarity from British labor unions

Posted on By 3arabawy

More international solidarity with Egypt’s labor activists who are currently facing the regime’s wrath. UNISON, which represents 1.4 million public service workers in Britain, has sent a letter to Mubarak, requesting the revoking of the decree to close down the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services.

Press conference: The right to organize

Posted on By 3arabawy

Egyptian NGOs will hold a press conference, Monday 12pm at the Journalists’ Syndicate, to brief reporters and bloggers about the recent attack by the authorities against civil society activists, and the closure of the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services.

Press Conference
Tomorrow, Monday, 14th of May 2007
12.00 a.m. at Press Syndicate
Civil Society Campaign
In Defense of Freedom of Organization
In view of the recent attack on non governmental organizations and the statements of the Minister of Social Solidarity who admitted to the interference of security authorities in the internal affairs of NGOs and the subsequent harassment of NGOs in addition to the restrictions imposed on NGOs by administrative bodies, the last of which being the illegal closure of the offices of the center of trade union and workers services (CTUWS); and since this escalation of harassment of NGOs coincides with media coverage of the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s meeting with civil society organizations in a number of governorates to discuss amendments to law 84/2002, excluding an important sector of non governmental organizations, especially those concerned with human rights and the right of citizens to access basic services;
Therefore, Non governmental organizations decided to organize a press conference on Monday, the 14th of May 2007 at 12 a.m. at the press syndicate to announce its objection to the continued security and administrative interferences in its affairs and to call for democratic principles to govern any association law in Egypt.
Press Conference Agenda
– Statement of Civil Society campaign (Read by Nawla Darwiche, New Woman Research Institution).
– Summary of recent administrative and security harassments of NGOs (Read by Mr. Tarek Khater, Association for human rights legal aid)
– Intervention by member of CTUWS
– The legislative framework of civil society according to international standards (Mr. Abdallah Khalil, UN Consultant in international law)
– Announcement of plan of action of campaign.
For more information please contact 3464901