Brief description of the information:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest and subsequent release on bail of four women human rights defenders after they called on the State to take serious steps regarding the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19 in prisons.
According to the information received, on March 18, 2020, Ms. Mona Seif, co-founder of the “No to Military Trials for Civilians” movement [1] and sister of Mr. Alaa Abdel Fattah, a blogger and member of the “No to Military Trials for Civilians” movement, who has been arbitrarily detained since September 29, 2019 [2], Ms. Laila Souef and Ms. Ahdaf Souef, respectively Mr. Alaa Abdel Fattah’s mother and aunt, as well as Ms. Rabab Elmahdy , a university professor, were arrested and taken to the Qasr al-Nil police station, in Cairo, after they staged a small protest outside the Cabinet Minister Headquarters, calling for the release of prisoners as part of the State’s efforts to combat the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in prisons.
On March 19, 2020, Ms. Mona Seif, Ms. Laila Souef, Ms. Ahdaf Souef and Ms. Rabab Elmahdy were granted release from State custody on an EGP 5,000 bail (around 297 EUR) after appearing before the Qasr al-Nil Prosecution. They all face charges of calling for an illegal protest with the aim of blocking traffic and publishing false news and rumors with the intention of spreading panic by standing in public with signs carrying misinformation about negligence in prisons amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Despite their bail was paid immediately, Ms. Mona Seif, Ms. Ahdaf Souef and Ms. Rabab Elmahdy were only effectively released from Qasr al-Nil police station late in the afternoon on March 19, 2020. Ms. Laila Souef was also finally released later on an additional EGP 3,000 bail on another set of similar charges.
The Observatory expresses its concern over the arbitrary arrest and judicial harassment against Ms. Mona Seif, Ms. Laila Souef, Ms. Ahdaf Souef and Ms. Rabab Elmahdy, which seems to be only aimed at punishing them for the exercise of their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities.
The Observatory urges the Egyptian authorities to put an end to all forms of harassment against them, including at the judicial level, as well as against all human rights defenders in Egypt.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities in Egypt, urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of Ms. Mona Seif, Ms. Laila Souef, Ms. Ahdaf Souef and Ms. Rabab Elmahdy, as well as that of all human rights defenders in Egypt;
ii. Put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Ms. Mona Seif, Ms. Laila Souef, Ms. Ahdaf Souef and Ms. Rabab Elmahdy, as well as against all human rights defenders in Egypt and ensure that they are able to carry out their activities without hindrance;
iii. Conform in all circumstances to the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly, in particular its Articles 1 and 12.2.;
iv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights instruments ratified by Egypt.
Addresses:
· President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Fax: +202 2391 1441. Email: p.spokesman@op.gov.eg, Twitter: @AlsisiOfficial
· Prime Minister, Mr. Mustafa Kemal Madbouly Mohamed. Email: pm@cabinet.gov.eg
· Minister of the Interior, Mr. Mahmoud Tawfik, Email: center@iscmi.gov.eg
· Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohamed Hossam Abdel-Rahim, Fax: +202 2795 8103
· Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Nabeel Sadek, Fax: +202 2577 4716
· Head of the Egyptian parliament’s Human Rights Committee, Mr. Alaa Abed, Email: humanrightscomplaints@parliament.gov.eg
· Mr. Mohamed Fayeq, President of the National Council for Human Rights, Fax: + 202 25747497 / 25747670. Email: nchr@nchr.org.eg
· H.E. Mr. Alaa Youssef, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Email: mission.egypt@bluewin.ch
· Embassy of Egypt in Brussels, Belgium, Fax: +32 2 675.58.88; Email: embassy.egypt@skynet.be
Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Egypt in your respective country.
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Geneva-Paris, March 20, 2020
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH. The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu , the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
· Tel and fax OMCT +41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / +41 22 809 49 29
· Tel and fax FIDH +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
[1] This movement was set up in 2011 and denounced human rights abuses committed in particular by security forces and the army during the rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) after the fall of former President Mubarak.
[2] For more information, see Observatory Urgent Appeal EGY 004 / 0919 / OBS 075.2, published on October 10, 2019: https://www.omct.org/human-rights-defenders/urgent-interventions/egypt/2019/10/d25540