Egypt: Enforced disappearance of 16 Egyptian nationals, Alkarama sends urgent appeal

19 Aug 2009
Alkarama has sent an urgent appeal today to the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances asking it to intercede with the Egyptian authorities in the case of 16 Egyptian nationals who disappeared in Mansoura province between 2 and 26 July 2009, after being arrested by the Egyptian State Security Intelligence (SSI). These individuals were part of a larger group of 29 Egyptians national who also disappeared under similar circumstances on 2 July 2009.

They were mostly arrested on 2 July 2009 (further clarifications are indicated in the list below) in the early hours of the morning, by State Security Intelligence (SSI) officers dressed in plain clothes. Their homes were surrounded by police forces, while the plain clothed SSI officers searched their belongings, seized their mobile phones and other valuables. At the time of their arrest, none of the victims were presented with arrest warrants and at the time of our communication, their whereabouts remain unknown.

The individuals who were part of the group of 16 are as follows:

1. Mohamad Fahim Hussein, 26, living in Telbana Mansoura, computer trader (arrested  on 2 July 2009).

2. Khaled Adel Hussein, 31, living in Telbana, Mansoura, Arabic teacher (arrested on 2 July 2009).

3. Ahmed Adel Hussein, 24, living in Telbana, Mansoura, engineer (arrested on 2 July 2009).

4. Mohamed Salah Abdel Fattah, 27, living in Telbana, Mansoura, graduate of Law (arrested on 2 July 2009).

5. Mohamed Hussein Ahmad Hussein, 24, living in Telbana, Mansoura, English teacher (arrested on 2 July 2009).

6. Adel Gharieb Ahmed, 23, living in Telbana, Mansoura, science teacher (arrested on 5 July 2009) .

7. Ibrahim Mohamed Taha, 29, living in Kom El Derbi, Mansoura, veterinary doctor (arrested on 2 July 2009).

8. Sameh Mohamed Taha, 24, living in Kom El Derbi, Mansoura, engineering student (arrested at SSI headquarters in Mansoura on 8 July 2009).

9. Ahmad Saad El Awadi, 22, living in Kom El Derbi, Mansoura, law student (arrested on 8 July 2009).

10. Ahmed Ezzat Ali, 28, Kom El Derbi, Mansoura, highschool graduate (arrested on 5 July 2009).

11. Samir Abdel Hamid El Metawalli, 22, living in Kom El Derbi, Mansoura, highschool graduate (arrested on 2 July 2009).

12. Ahmed El Sayed Nasef, 28, living in Kom El Derbi, professor of agricultural studies (arrested on 2 July 2009).

13. Ahmed Farhan Sayed Ahmed, 25, living in El Marg, Cairo, law student in Mansoura (arrested on 2 July 2009).

14. Ahmed El Sayed Mahmoud El Mansi, age unknown, law student in Mansoura (arrested on 2 July, last seen on 26 July 2009).

15. Mohamed Khamis El Sayed Ibrahim, 33, living in Alexandria, lecturer (arrested on 2 July 2009).

16. Yasser Abdel Qader Abd El Fattah Bisar, 28, El Maadi, Cairo, corporate chauffeur (arrested on 2 July 2009, however last seen on 26 July 2009).

Since the arrests, the government has made official statements condemning those in question for membership to the "Zeitoun terror-cell", a so-called Islamist extremist group accused of plotting terrorist attacks.

In the immediate days following the arrests, the families and lawyers of the victims began seeking the whereabouts of those in question and lodged repeated complaints with the relevant authorities. Continual appeals have also been made by their Legal Defense Committee for an independent investigation into allegations of torture.

Egypt ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 14 February 1982 and the Committee against Torture on 25 June 1986.

Egypt
Enforced Disappearance