Document - مصر: معلومات إضافية بشأن التحرك العاجل/ بواعث قلق بشأن سوء المعاملة/حرية التجمع والتعبير

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 12/017/2008

4 August 2008

Further Information on UA 208/08 (MDE 12/016/2008, 25 July 2008) Fear of ill-treatment/freedom of assembly and expression

EGYPT Ahmed Maher, aged 27, civil engineer

Mohamd Taher (m)

13 other protesters

Ahmed Maher and thirteen other protestors were released without charge, from the Borg al Arab prison between 30 July and 01 August. On 24 July, the public prosecutor ordered that the protestors be detained for fifteen days whilst an investigation was conducted. A court in Alexandria overturned the order on 27 July, after an appeal was presented by their lawyer. The court’s decision and order for the protesters’ to be released was upheld on 28 July after a counter appeal had been made by the prosecutor.

Mohamed Taher, whose whereabouts were unknown following the protests, had not been arrested and is believed to have gone into hiding for several days, after participating in the protest. There are no further concerns for the 16 protesters.

Following their arrest on 23 July, the protestors were held for a few hours at the State Security Investigations in ‘Pharana’, the protesters were then taken to Al Raml police station in the centre of Alexandria where some members of the group were ill-treated. At the police station they were interrogated about the protest and their ‘6 April’ T-shirts. On 24 July, they were transferred to Hadra prison for a day then moved to Borg al Arab prison where they were detained for five days. Throughout their detention the protestors were denied visits and had to rely on other prisoners for food and clothing.

Ahmed Maher has expressed his thanks to Amnesty international and all those who sent appeals. He believes that the international attention and pressure created by activists helped to accelerate the protestors' release.

No further action needed. Many thanks to those who sent appeals.