Allegations of torture and ill-treatment suffered by Mr. Mahmoud Ragab Ibrahim in al-Hadra Prision, Alexandria

The InternationalSecretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests yourURGENT intervention in the following situation in Egypt.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by The EgyptianOrganization for Human Rights (EOHR), a member organisation of the SOS-TortureNetwork, about the allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and arbitrarydetention suffered by Mr. Mahmoud Ragab Ibrahim, a 21-years oldcraftsman from Alexandria, by prisonguards of the al-Hadra Prision, in Alexandria.

Accordingto the information received, on 1 February 2011, Mr. Ibrahim was passing throughthe area of Sidi Beshr, in the city of Alexandria, around 5:30 p.m., when he was approached bymembers of the community watches[1]. They considered himsuspicious and he was subsequently handed over to the Command Center of the Northern Area of the ArmedForces (CCNAAF), despite having presented his national identification card tothe community watches members.

Mr. Mahmoud Ragab Ibrahim was thereafter brought to the al-Hadara prisonon no legal grounds. He was never presented before any competent judicialauthority during his detention. In al-Hadara prison, he was forced to wear thedetainee uniform and allegedly beaten and tortured by the guards. As aconsequence of these acts he bore deep wound on his thighs, cut wounds on hisback, feet and arms and moreover swelled feet, and arms, and a swelled lefteye. To this date, no legal charges were brought against Mr. Ibrahim.

According to the same information, thefamily of Mr. Ibrahim received, on 10 February 2011,a phone call from an alleged “citizen” informing them that their detainedrelative had been released next to the al-Mughawreen Mosque, near the al-Hadraprison. When the family went to the mentioned place, they found Mr. MahmoudRagab Ibrahim unconscious and in a severe state of fatigue. The days before,the family had been asking for Mr. Ibrahim at the CCNAAF, where they were toldthat he had been transferred to the Central Military Prison in Cairo, but therewas no sign of Mr. Ibrahim. Subsequently his family looked for him in othermilitary prisons and went back to CCNAAF where again they received nosatisfactory answer.

Mr. Ibrahim's family reported theincident to the General Prosecution Office of East Alexandria. The familyaccuses the administration of al-Hadra prison of detaining Mr. MahmoudRagab Ibrahim without any legal charges and of alleged torture. The report wasregistered under number 385 for the year 2011 under the petition of the GeneralProsecution Office of East Alexandria. The case is reportedly being currently investigated by the PublicProsecutor.

OMCT is gravely concerned about the alleged facts and recalls that Egypt is a State party to the UNConvention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment orPunishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR), which both prohibit torture and ill-treatment, at all times.

In line with their obligations under these treaties,it is incumbent on the competent authorities to consider seriously anyallegations of torture and ill-treatment, and to undertake a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartialinvestigation in this regard in order to identify all thoseresponsible, bring them to trial and apply adequate sanctions.

Finally, OMCTrecalls that the victims of torture and ill-treatment must be ensured the rightto an effective remedy for the human rights violations suffered as well as theright to full redress, including compensation and rehabilitation.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Egypt urging them to:

i. Takeall necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Mahmoud Ragab Ibrahim;

ii. Carry out a prompt, effective, thorough, independentand impartial investigation into the abovementioned facts, in particular theallegations of torture and ill-treatment, the result of which must be madepublic, in order to bring those responsible before a competent, independent andimpartial tribunal and apply penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions asprovided by law;

iii. Ensure that an effective remedy as well as the rightto full redress, including compensation and rehabilitation, is granted to Mr. Mahmoud Ragab Ibrahim;

iv. Guaranteethe respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the countryin accordance with international human rights standards.

Addresses

Ø Vice-President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, HE. OmarSouleiman, Abedine Palace, Cairo, E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg, Fax:+202 2390 1998

Ø Prime Minister,Dr. Essam Sharaf,Magles El Shaab Street, Kasr El Aini Street, Cairo,Fax: + 202 2735 6449 / 27958016. Email: primemin@idsc.gov.eg

Ø Egyptian Public Prosecutor,Counsellor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud Abdel Meguid, Dar al Qadhaal-'Ali, Ramses Street, Cairo,Egypt, Fax: + 20 2 2577 4716;

Ø Minister of Interior,General Mansour El-Essaoui, 25 Al-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo,Egypt,El-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo Email: center@iscmi.gov.eg, Fax: +202 2579 2031/ 2794 5529

Ø Minister of Justice,Mr. Mohamed El Gendy, Ministry of Justice, Magles El Saeb Street, Wezaret AlAdl, Cairo, Fax: +202 2795 8103, E-mail:mojeb@idsc.gov.eg

Ø National Council for Human Rights, 1113 Corniche El Nil, Midane Al Tahrir, Specialized National CouncilsBuilding – 11th floor, NDP Building, Cairo, Fax: +2022 574 7497,Email: nchr@nchr.org.eg.

Ø Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations inGeneva,Avenue Blanc 49, 1202 Geneva, Fax: +41 22738 44 15, Email: mission.egypt@ties.itu.int

Pleasealso write to the embassies of Egyptin your respective country.

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Geneva, 24 March 2011

Kindlyinform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in yourreply.

[1] On 28 January 2011, during the first week ofthe Egyptian protests, the security forces withdrew from the streets leavingthe preservation of public order to the military forces. Moreover severalprisons were then opened, releasing prisoners, and in addition most of thepolice stations were burnt down and many weapons disappeared. As a consequenceof these events and the increasing insecurity in the country, the so-calledcommunity watches or Ligan Sha’biya were formed, composed by residentsof the respective neighbourhoods. They stopped cars and persons, and handed anysuspect person over to the military forces, especially if the concerned personcouldn’t present a valid identification document and was considered suspicious,in particular persons who were not from the neighbourhood. The communitywatches are no longer active.