Tag: piggipedia

Resources, photos and videos of Egyptian police officers involved in torture and human rights violations.

Cement workers stage sit-in south of Cairo

Posted on By 3arabawy

More than 500 workers at el-Qawmiya Cement Company in Helwan staged a sit-in Sunday morning, in front of the office building of the CEO Nabil el-Gabri, demanding their full annual bonuses.

The workers were entitled to a total profit share of LE30 millions (roughly 10% of the LE306 million profits made by the company the previous year). In addition to the cash sums, part of this money should be allocated to the housing and social services. The management only paid LE13 millions, triggering industrial action from the workers today. The Factory Union Committee apparently lobbied for only another LE7 millions, which was refused by the workers, who demanded the full remaining LE13 millions.

The director of the Helwan State Security Bureau Officer Ashraf Shura showed up at the factory in person, and negotiated with the workers. The sit-in was disbanded around 5pm, after Shura promised the workers their demands will be met. The workers also chanted against their Factory Union Committee officials, calling for their impeachment.

[Above: An undated photo of the director of Helwan’s State Security bureau Officer Ashraf Shura, seen above in brown plainclothes. He was involved in torturing labor writer Mostafa Bassiouny, by beatings and electric shocks in 1999. Photo courtesy of Egyptian blogger Ahmad Abdel Fattah.]

Victims imprisoned and tormentors released

Posted on By 3arabawy

I received the following statement from the Nadim Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence:

Victims Imprisoned and Tormentors Released
El-Nadim Center expresses its regret regarding the court sentence released by the Alexandria East Court, where three victims of police torture and violence were sentenced while torturers were released.
On the 16th of April 2007 the Alexandria East Court has ruled in the case no. 47678/2006 acquitting El Arabi Saleh Muhammad and Goma’a Abdel Moncef Ibrahim, both sergeants at the Baba Shark police station, accused of using violence, while sentencing victims Muhammad Abdel Aziz Abdel Fattah, Abdel Razik Abdel Aziz Abdel Fattah and Ahmad Ali Abdo, accused of resisting authorities, each to three months imprisonment and 100 LE fine.
The story dates back to the 15th of August 2005 when Goma’a and El Arabi stopped citizen Abdel Razik and beat him up in the middle of the street in El Hadra El Gadida. El Arabi shot three bullets, one of which hit Muhammad in his arm. Both sergeants then took Abdel Razik to the police station leaving Muhammad bleeding until he was found my his friend Ahmad Ali Abdo, who happened to be passing by. He carried him to the prosecution to document the case and have him referred to hospital. The prosecutor ordered Muhammad’s transfer to the hospital, which the then present police officer offered to do. But instead of taking him to hospital the officer drove both, the wounded Muhammad and his friend to the police station where, instead of treatment, they were subject to torture to force them to withdraw their complaint. Ahmad, in addition, was taken to the state security headquarters where he was subject to torture again.
Although the forensic report proved the injuries afflicted on Muhammad Abdel Aziz, Abdel Razik Abdel Aziz and Ahmad Ali, which included evidence of the gun shot that hit Muhammad in his arm. The forensic report also documented minor bruises on each of sergeants El Arabi Saleh and Goma’a Abdel Moncef, which the report explained as possible consequences of the victims’ attempt to defend themselves. The prosecution excluded the possibility of attempted murder and sent the case to court accusing all parties concerned. The court’s ruling included a prison sentence of three months to each of the three victims, a 200 LE bail and 501 LE temporary compensation to each of them.
El-Nadim Center expresses its concern that courts, which victims reach with great difficulty, are no longer a resort for those seeking justice, but rather an additional source of punishment for those who dare complain about their torture by the police. At best the courts tend to acquit victims and tormentors. At worst, as in this case, they punish victims and release the torturers.
El-Nadim Center
Cairo, 20 April 2007

Court re-opens investigation into Hadayek el-Qobba State Security torture case

Posted on By 3arabawy

The Zeitoun Family Court has ordered the re-opening of investigation into the death of citizen Muhammad Abdel Qader, of Hadayek el-Qobba, who was tortured to death by State Security Captain Ashraf Mustafa Hussein in September 2003.

Click to view autopsy report

The family had dropped the case, under pressures from State Security who detained Muhammad’s brother Sameh without charges to blackmail the victim’s family. But, after relentless campaiging by the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid, supported by the Kefaya bloggers, the family showed up in court yesterday and admitted they had dropped the case under intimidation.