Editor RNSAW: Because of the many attacks on the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) the RNSAW presents here the answer of the Center for Human Rights Legal Aid (CHRLA).
November 26, 1998
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Under Attack
The Egyptian human rights organizations express their deep concern about the
accelerating campaign aiming at sullying the reputation of the human rights
movement and questioning its credibility and the patriotism of those running
the organizations.
The timing of the campaign coincides with the final amendments to the Bill
on Associations and Private Institutions, a bill that was widely criticized
by human rights groups and non-governmental organizations.
The campaign was led by the independent weekly Al-Osboa, known to have close
ties with security circles. The newspaper published in its November 23 issue
a front page story accusing the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
(EOHR) of receiving a check from an unnamed "hostile" foreign embassy as
payment for a false report on the random arrest and torture of hundreds of
citizens by local police authorities in al-Koshh village in Sohag
Governorate last August as part of their investigation of a routine murder
case in the village. The newspaper’s campaign has led the Prosecutor General
to ask the newspaper’s editor-in-chief to make a statement on the accusation
made by the newspaper on November 23.
We believe that any partial investigation of such an accusation would prove
EOHR innocent of all charges. EOHR is prepared to present all documents
proving its innocence and the fraud of such accusations.
The present investigation, however, arouses deep concern. The investigation
is being conducted in the context of a persistent government attitude
denying access to all information on crimes of torture committed by the
police forces in al-Koshh village, as well as banning all information on the
internal police investigation concerning such crimes. The Prosecutor General
was satisfied with declaring such crimes mere individual mistakes.
The urgency with which the Prosecutor General’s office has acted in the
investigation of such a complaint, issuing a press statement within 24
hours, is in clear contrast to the Prosecutor General’s neglect of hundreds
of complaints made by human rights organizations over the years against the
severe violations committed by police forces causing the death of dozens of
citizens as a result of torture. Such urgency is additionally in contrast to
the failure of the Prosecutor General’s office to fulfill its promise to
make a full statement on the investigation of the death of lawyer ’Abd
al-Harth Madeni, who was tortured to death during his imprisonment in 1994.
Curiously enough, the editor-in-chief and assistant editor of al-Osboa have
been singularly able to escape serving prison terms a few weeks ago in a
libel case, both being set free by a decree from the Prosecutor General.
Four other journalists served in similar prison terms during 1998 for the
first time since 1952.
The Egyptian human rights organizations confirm that they will face this
attack together. While we confirm our solidarity with the Egyptian
Organization for Human Rights, we assure that we will offer all the support
we can, whether legal, financial, or logistic, to face these threats.
The undersigned organizations request the commissioning of a judge to carry
out the investigation of the interrogations in this case according to the
provisions of Article 64 of the Criminal Procedures Code. The undersigned
organizations additionally request that the investigations include all the
violations committed by the Egyptian police at al-Koshh village and
mentioned in the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights’ report on the
incident.
The Egyptian human rights organizations regret to inform the public that the
Egyptian government is insisting on its hostile attitude towards the notion
of human rights. At a time when the entire world is celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Egyptian
police is keen to add another mark in its record book of brutality.
Again, the Egyptian human rights organizations call on the Egyptian
government to realize that protecting their reputation and improving their
image cannot be achieved by a media campaign, or by silencing human rights
voices, but can only be achieved through a thorough, public, and fair
investigation of all cases of violations, an investigation that ends with
the proper punishment of the violators.
Organizations:
al-Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal
Profession
The Arab Program for Human Rights Activists
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
The Center for Human Rights Legal Aid
The Group for Democratic Development
The Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners
The Land Center for Human Rights
...................................................
CHRLA, the Center for Human Rights Legal Aid,
Founded by Hisham Mubarak in 1994
29, al-Tahrir St., Doqqi, Cairo, 12311, EGYPT.
Tel./fax: (202) 338-8231 / (202) 338-2908
e-mail: chrla@chrla.org
Website: http://www.chrla.org
