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Press release
Cairo:30/1/2003
EOHR’s calls for the immediate release
of the Sudanese
EOHR is deeply concerned regarding the round up conducted
by the Egyptian Security Forces to arrest some Sudanese refugees who
live in Maadi in South Cairo between 28-29 January which included more
than 200 Sudanese refugees.
The information received by EOHR’s fact finding missions
with the help of EOHR’s refugee legal aid unit sent to Mogamaa El
Tahrir (immigration department) said that the Security forces arrested
the Sudanese refugees and they were detained in Maadi and Bastaine
police stations. The information stated that there are whole families
who were arrested and presented before the Security office in Mogamaa
El Tahrir . Also, Those who have blue cards and those who are waiting
for the UNHCR determination or pending interviews are released.
However, there are still refugees who are still under detention in the
security office in Mogamaa El Tahrir as the authorities are examining
their legal status.
EOHR believes that these arrests are coercive and security
bodies lack information regarding the legal status for such arrests to
as these arrests included more than 160 persons whose legal status
comply with the Egyptian and International laws. However, the
authorities insisted on taking them to police stations which is a
breach to article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights as well as it breaches the 1951Convention and 1976
Protocol concerning refugees which are ratified by Egypt and became
part of the internal law of Egypt by virtue of article 151 of the
Constitution.
In this regard, EOHR calls upon the immediate release of
the rest of the arrested refugees and to review their status for fear
that they may be persecuted and killed if they are returned to their
countries. |