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The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Annual report 1999-2000 |
eohr@eohr.org info@eohr.org
eohr@link.com.eg
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Introduction
Section One Section Two : Section Three Section Four |
The Human Rights Situation in Egypt Violations of Human Rights 2000-2001 Thirdly: Coercive and Involuntary Disappearances The EOHR has, over the previous years, observed the crime of coercive disappearance. These observations have revealed that the crime of these disappearances presents itself as one of the gravest violations threatening the condition of human rights in Egypt. This grave occurrence has been associated with the occurrence of political violence between the security apparatuses and Islamist organizations. The standard definition of "forced disappearance " can be summarized as follows - "The coercive detainment of an individual/citizen (whose identity has been determined) by any governmental body/personnel; or by any other party employed, supported, or permitted to do so, by the government. Those responsible then intentionally foreclose the location of the missing individual, refuse to disclose information regarding their fate, or deny their detainment." Based on this definition the EOHR has, through civilian investigations since the years 1992-2000, detected (55) individual cases of forced disappearances - of these (17) individuals' fates have been determined following information sent to the EOHR regarding their whereabouts within various different prisons. The fate of the remaining individuals is yet to be determined The EOHR has noted new occurrences of forced disappearance for the years 1999 & 2000 whereby 5 individuals', in addition to the 38 previously mentioned, whereabouts are still not known. Following the EOHR's analysis of these 5 cases it has revealed that each one of these cases can be classified as a "forced disappearance" according to the standard definition mentioned above. Below are case studies 1. Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud Resident of Tamma Island, Tamma District,Suhag Governorate.Construction worker ,aged 26 and mentally ill , currently residing in the Village of Mesraa'- Assiut District- Assiut Governorate. According to the information received by the EOHR, the aforementioned was arrested on June 28, 1992 by Mohammed 'Atef- officer at the police station of Manfaloutt- following quarrels between Muslim and Coptic truck-drivers in the Village of Gehhdam. Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud was, by chance, passing through the location of the quarrel when he was pulled over by the police officer- who asked him for his identification card. According to Mahmoud's I.D. his place of residence was still recorded as being the Island of Tamma in the Suhag District. Although he had relocated his current place of residence was not recorded as such on his new I.D. card. Such being the case, the police officer arrested him on account of his suspected involvement in the quarrels and was sent to the Mafaloutt Police Station. Since that date his family has not heard from him nor does it know of his whereabouts. The officers of the Manfaloutt Police Station was transferred to the National Security's Investigation Unit in Assiut. Mahmoud's family had obtained permission to visit the Al-Fayoum Prison, nevertheless, his family was later denied access to visit Mahmoud. Permits were issued in 1994 and 1998 for the visitation of Wadi el-Natroun Prisons 1&2, however, he was not located in the prison. Furthermore, additional permits were issued for the visitation of Al-Wadi el-Gedid Prison; again Mahmoud could not be located following three consecutive visitations of the prison on December 1998, January 1999, and on February 1999. Investigations were held with Mahmoud's father on September 1998 on behalf of the Assiut Police Station, the father later declared that no reply was received regarding Mahmoud, his location, or condition. Mahmoud's family had contacted El-Minya's Director of Security, the Minister of the Interior, Director of the Department of Prison Affairs, and the Attorney General, however, none of these parties could provide the family with any information regarding Mahmoud. 2. Badawi Abu el-Futouh Badawi Fayed Resident of 4 Sidi Saftawi, Al-Matariya. Aged 23 yrs .Student of Engineering at Al-Azhar University; The reports received by the EOHR have revealed the following information: During the month of April of the year 1993, Badawi was arrested by National Security forces from his residence. A decision was issued for Badawi's detainment in a certain prison, however, his family was not informed of his location of detention. Badawi's family had presented their objections regarding the decision to imprison their son in the hope of being able to locate him, yet to no avail. A judicial verdict was issued for Badawi's innocence. Badawi's family had filed complaints to various different governmental authorities - none of which have replied until now.The missing student's father had, of 12/08/1998, filed a complaint (# 1281) to the Minister of the Interior.No response has yet been received. On January 24,1999 a representative from the Matariya Police Station was to send to the missing student's family to inform them to go to the police station to pickup their son. The father departed for the Matariya Police Station, upon arriving he was dispatched to 'Ain Shams Police Station. Yet there he could not find anyone who would inform him about his son's whereabouts. The father returned to seek for his son at the Matariya Police Station and then back again to the 'Ain Shams Police Station - back and forth he went without being able to locate his son. The EOHR, as of 30/05/1999, filed a complaint # 372 to the Minister of Interior, Director of the Department of Prison Affairs, and the Attorney-General. The organization, however, has not yet received any responses. 3. Adel Saudi 'Abdel Rasuul Peasant residing in the Village of Tanda - Mallawi District - Al - Minya Governorate.aged 22 yrs. According to the civil investigations carried out by the EOHR the Head of the Felonies Investigation Unit Hisham Mohammed Ahmed ordered a patrolman named Saad Riyad Hassouna to summon the aforementioned. The patrolman led 'Adel to the police station located in the village, there he was interrogated regarding his alleged involvement with Islamist organizations; 'Adel responded stating that he was a mere peasant and did not know of anything regarding issues. Upon hearing this the officer assaulted and beat him, electrocuted him, and with his hands tied, had him tossed from the second floor - resulting in injuries. The officer then took him to the village center and had a doctor inspect him before heading to the area of Southern Mallawi.The officer sent one of Badawi's relatives to notify 'Adel's father that he could pickup his son following his recovery from his injuries. Ever since this notification was sent 'Adel's family has not heard from him nor do they know of his whereabouts. 'Adel's family had appealed for his release and had filed more than ten complaints - but to no avail. The Department for the Administration of Prisons responded to the complaints filed by the family with the reply that he could not be located. The family was issued a number of permits for the visitation of different prisons including the Wadi el-Gedid and the Wadi el-Natroun Prisons amongst others; the visitations, however, proved futile for 'Adel could still not be located. The results of a specialized computer-search, conducted by the Department for the Administration of Prisons, revealed that 'Adel's name could not be located among the names of the inmates in any prison. 'Adel's family again filed a number of complaints to the designated authorities and an investigation was undertaken by the Investigations Unit of the Mallawi Police Station. The complaints filed have been taken up by the National Security's Investigation Unit for inquiry. 'Adel's father was re-questioned, yet until now no information about his whereabouts has been received. The EOHR has presented notifications regarding this case to the Minister of the Interior, to the Director of the Department for the Administration of Prisons, and to the Attorney General,all to no avail; unfortunately, no replies have been received. 4. Hossam el-Dein Refaat Shaeeb Resident of Al-Mansha'ah- Suhag Governorate Aged 22 yrs. Law Student at Assiut University,.According to the civil investigations conducted as of 23/08/1999 by the EOHR- during his summer vacation, the aforementioned, who was residing with some family members in Cairo - located in Eastern 'Ain Shams, went to visit his brother in the Al-Haram area. Hossam, however, never made it to his brother and no news has been heard of him since. On 23/01/1999 the 'Ain Shams Police Station notified Hossam's Maternal Aunt, Tahani Ahmed Rashwan, that a family member should come to the station to guarantee Hossam's release on bail pending the investigation of his case. On 24/01/1999 Hossam's father headed for the 'Ain Shams Police Station where Investigating Officer Mustapha el-Nahass informed him that his son was transferred to National Security, so the father departed for the National Security's Department of Investigation located at Lazoghli. At Lazoghli the father met with another officer who informed him that some inquiries with his son were to be conducted in Suhag and that Hossam was to be released. On this same day, January 24, 1999, an intelligence agent appeared at the family's residence in Suhag and informed them that a few inquiries were been conducted with Hossam. Hossam's cousin Mahmoud Abou el-Futouh, and his sister's husband Hisham Refaat Sadiq, both left with the agent to meet with an officer who informed them that Hossam would return within two days. Since then no news has been heard of Hossam. The aforementioned's family filed a report (# 724) to the Attorney General on 10/05/1999, and another report (#11629) to the 'Ain Shams Police Station on 03/09/1999, as well as an inquiry to the Department for the Administration of Prisons on 31/08/1999. The only response received was that he could not be located. Hossam's family had payed a number of visits to different prisons on 02/09/1999 including- the Istiqbal Torah, Mazraaet Torah, Liman Torah, Wadi el-Natroun 1&2, and the Cairo Appeals Prisons. The result of these visitations was fruitless for Hossam could not be located within any of these prisons. The EOHR has presented notifications to the Minister of the Interior, to the Director of the Department for the Administration of Prisons, and to the Attorney General - again, unfortunately, to no avail for no responses were delivered. 5. Mohammed 'Abdel Hameed Metwalli 'Abdel Hameed Resident of theVillage of Nawa - Shebine el-Qanatir - Qalyubiya Governorate. The aforementioned was arrested by a force from the Investigations Unit of the Shebine el-Qanatir Police Station led by Officer Mohammed Salama - Head of the Investigations Unit - on March 8, 2000. He was illegally detained at the Kafr Police Unit until he was to be presented before the attorney as of 11/03/2000 on charges of selling arms. The attorney ordered his release as of 27/03/2000, however, the Head of the Investigations Unit denied his release on account that he would be presented before the Criminal Investigations Unit for Felonies in the Qalyubiya Security Department. He has not been heard of nor has it been possible to locate him since that date. It is feared that his life is in danger. List of Cases of Coercive Disappearances The following have been released & their places of detention located 1-Mahmoud Mohammed Ismail 2-Mohammed 'Ali Mustapha List of Cases of Forcible Disappearances Investigated & Documented on behalf of the EOHR & Correspondence with the Working Delegation of Forcible Disappearances Affiliated to the Board of Human Rights in the United Nations Disappearances 1993 3-Mansour Rashid Al-Kihha 4-Bahaa' el-Dein 'Abdel Rauof 5-Ahmed 'Abdel Rahman Mohammed Disappearances 1994 6- Magdi Mohamed 'Ali 7-Mustapha Kamel Seyyid 8-Ahmed Shelqami Hosni 9-Farghalli 'Abdel Rahman Hosni 10-'Abdel Nasser Mohamed 11-Mohamed Farghalli Mohamed 12-Mustapha 'Ali Mahmoud Disappearances 1995 13-Sobhi 'Abdel Hadi 14-Talaat Fouad Qasem 15-Yousri Khalifa 16-Khaled Mohammed el-Seyyid Molthem Disappearances 1996 17-Khaled Mohammed 'Abdel Rahman 18-Nasser Khairy Tannash 19-Nabil Mohammed Hosni 20-Samir Abu el-Maati 21-'Ali Mansour el-Gamal 22-'Abdel Sabuur 'Abdallah 'Em23-ad 'Afifi Hamam 24-Mahmoud Ahmed Shaqir Disappearances 1997 25-Gihad Farouq 'Abdel Mene'm 26-Sami Seyyid Mohammed 27-'Atef Mohammed Khalaf 28-Boutrous Morqos Iskandar 29-Waleed 'Abdel Gawad 30-Nasser Soliman Yasine 31-Sami Seyyid 'Ali Mohammed Disappearances 1998 Magdi Mohammed 'Ali 32-Khaled Mohammed 33-Seyyid 'Ali Hassan 34-'Ali Mansour Ahmed 35-'Abdel Sabour 'Abdallah 36-Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud 37-'Omar Tawfiq Tuni 38-'Amer 'Abdel Hameed Sawi 39-Waleed 'Abdel Gawad 'Abdel Ghafour 40-Nasser Soliman Yasine 41-Mahmoud Ahmed Mohammed 42-Badawi Abu el-Futouh Fayed 43-'Adel Saudi 'Abdel Rasuul 44-Hossam el-Dein Refaat Disappearances 2000 46-Mohammed 'Abdel Hameed Metwalli |
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