Press release
Cairo: 23 April 2003

EOHR Calls For The Disclosure Of The Whereabouts of Ibrahim EL Saharee And The Release Of Other Detainees

            EOHR is deeply concerned regarding the deteriorating health conditions of two journalists, Hesham Fouad Abdel Halim and Ayman Makram Wedeah, who went on hunger strikes at the Journalists Syndicate on 17 April, 2003.  Their strikes are meant to bring about the release of journalist Ibrahim Il Saharee and other detained anti-war activists.  EOHR has received news of their deteriorating health conditions; they were taken to The Red Crescent Hospital on 23 April 2003.  EOHR has also learned that two more journalists, Sehem Bayoumi and Noor El Hoda, will begin hunger strikes today. 

These hunger strikes come with the backdrop of peaceful demonstrators being detained.  Security Personnel detained Mohammad Hassan Hassan (a student); Wael Mohammed Taqfiq (a journalist); Ramez Gehed (a student); Ibrahim El Saharee (a journalist) and Marwan Hamdi.  Two other students were arrested and released on 15 April 2003; they are Amr Abd El Latif and Walid Abdel Rizk.  EOHR received information indicating they were tortured at state security offices in La Zoghlee.  None of them were presented before prosecutors.  Moreover, there are ambiguities surrounding the whereabouts of journalists of Ibrahim El Saharee; more specifically, there are doubts about his personal safety. 

EOHR is deeply concerned about the deteriorating health conditions of those on strike and calls on Egyptian authorities to disclose the whereabouts of journalist Ibrahim El Saharee and release all detainees.   Finally, EOHR renews its demand to begin investigating cases of torture against anti-war activists.