The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners HRAAP Campaign

Hand in Hand…Egypt without Torture

Cairo: 19/5/2004

HRAAP expresses its great concern about the arrest of 55 leaders of the Islamic Brotherhood and investigating with them before the prosecution office of the high state security and claims releasing them immediately

In another unexpected development and on the background of the alleged political and legislative reform and forming the national council for human fights and the abolition of the state security courts, the state security forces arrested 55 leaders of Islamic Brotherhood group from many governorates in Egypt. Some violations from the side of the state security officers has happened during the arrest operation like searching houses and work premises of the arrested illegally and arbitrarily in addition to seizing their computers and mobile phones and files, over and above the money they have found. All detainees have been referred to the high prosecution office of the state security on the accusation of the affiliation with a secret organization established illegally unlike law and possessing publications and trying to survive the forbidden activities of the Islamic Brotherhood.

HRAAP expresses its concern about this incident as it is considered a relapse and a continuation to the policy of exceptional trials before their authorized judge, where the national laws and international charters and covenants stated that the suspects have rights and guarantees can not be disregarded whether it is during their detention or investigation or trial. In addition, HRAAP expresses concern about the continuation of the dawn visitors' policy and abuses happen during this operation such as random procedures of arrest and search violating all articles of the international laws and charters.

It is worth mentioning that the arrest operation comes in time characterized by stability in the nature of relationship between the government and the Islamic Brotherhood group. As it was mentioned in the report of Islamic Brotherhood group concerning this incident "this period is alive with activities and proceedings that expressed the spirit of the positive response to the general benefit against the external practices aiming at the whole nation, rulers and peoples, in addition to the absolute rejection to the American project, the great project of the Middle East, and trial of intervention into the internal affairs in our countries.

From our side, we condemn the continuous government trials to exclude the movement Islamic Brotherhood group from the Egyptian political map and assert their right to exist and work without restrictions and to be provided with the right of practicing their activities legally launching as it is an Islamic political peaceful movement. HRAAP worries about this arrest to be in relation to the approaching of the elections of the state council and syndicates so we claim releasing all those detainees and renew our previous claims to lift the emergency state imposed since 1981 and releasing all administrative detainees and stopping the policy of torture inside police stations and Egyptian prisons and providing the right of forming and issuing newspapers and right of founding associations independently and purifying all legislations from restrictions on practicing rights and freedoms.

The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of prisoners