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The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) adopted Opinion 50/2011 on 2 September 2011, following the complaint lodged by Alkarama against the Egyptian authorities regarding the arrest and trial of Mr Sanad, who was tried before a military court which sentenced him to three years jail on 10 May 2011.

Alkarama, based in Geneva, and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) in Cairo, had previously lodged a complaint with the WGAD regarding the case of Mr Sanad, asking for their immediate intervention to bring an end to his military trial.

Alkarama is very concerned about the continuation of torture and inhumane treatment in Egyptian prisons.

Giza-police-headquarterOn 23 October 2011, the Supreme State Security Prosecution referred 76 defendants, who were arrested in the events outside the Saudi Embassy, to the Supreme State Security Emergency Court.

‏The prosecution did not disclose any information about the killing of peaceful demonstrators by the Central Security Forces and Military Police so far.

On 30 June 2011, Mr Al Sayed was arrested at his home by agents of the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Police, who were dressed as civilians. He was not presented with an arrest warrant nor was he given a reason for his arrest at the time.

Mr Abou Al Maaty AL SAYED was directly taken to the Farag Police Station, where he was subjected to various acts of torture at the hands of two agents of the Criminal Investigation branch, Ali Maher and Saïd Chaarwy, who forced him to undress and shaved his hair, eyebrows and moustache.

Alkarama has requested the Egyptian authorities immediately release political prisoner Mohammad Al Aswani. Mr Al Aswani has spent more than thirty years in prison, arbitrary detained due to series of unfair trails which were made possible due to the unconstitutional emergency law in force at the time.

Mr. Mohammad Mahmud Salih Al Aswani (aged 60) is one of the oldest political prisoners in Egypt. He has been detained for close to 31 years and he remains behind bars in the high security prison of Lyman Tura.

Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested 28 March 2011 at his home for having criticized the army on his blog. He was the object of an expedited trial and was convicted 11 April 2011. Mr. Sanad was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine.
Nabil El-Maghribi

Alkarama has learned that the Egyptian authorities released Mr. Nabil El-Maghribi on June 2011.

Alkarama for Human Rights in Geneva has stated that the Egyptian authorities must work on investigating the instances of torture to which peaceful demonstrators in front of the Israeli embassy were subjected in the middle of last month after Army and Central Security forces came in to disperse the demonstrators.

On 15 May thousands of Egyptian youth and political activists, on the anniversary of the Nakba and the so-called Third Intifada Day, went to protest peacefully in front of the Israeli embassy, mainly by shouting out calls for Palestinians' due rights.

Yesterday, 3 March 2011, Mohamed Khairat Al Shatar, the 60 year old businessman and leading figure in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, was released from Tora Prison in Cairo. He had been sentenced to 7 years in prison in a grossly unfair trial before Cairo's Military court.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had stated in September 2008 that the detention of Mr Al Shatter and those detained with him, was arbitrary and that they should be released.

Alkarama commends the fact that a number of its most serious cases were raised in the Committee against Torture's List of Issues on Egypt.

The Committee against Torture is mandated to periodically review implantation of the rights contained in the international Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Egypt acceded on 25 June 1986.