Enforced disappearance of Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev_Fear of imminent extradition to Russia where he would be at serious risks of torture and other ill-treatment

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Egypt.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture Network, about the enforced disappearance of Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev, a 32-year-old Russian national from Ingushetia living in Egypt, since 3 December 2009. Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev reportedly faces imminent extradition to Russia, where he would be at serious risks of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

According to the information received, on 10 November 2009, Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev and his wife, Ms. Maret Mankieva, were arrested by plain clothes police officers in Alexandria after they tried to renew his passport at the Russian consulate. They were reportedly detained in a police building in Alexandria. On the same day, Ms. Maret Mankieva was released. She was allowed to see her husband before she left and she noticed that he had been beaten. Then, the security officers forced her to take them to their house in Alexandria, which they subsequently searched without any warrant. The police were allegedly looking for her husband’s belongings. It is reported that no reasons were given for the arrest and detention of Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev. Furthemore, Ms. Maret Mankieva has not been permitted to see her husband since that day.

On 1 December 2009, Ms. Maret Mankieva was contacted by an unidentified person, who informed her that her husband was detained at Al Laban police station (located on Abu Alderdar Street). The person reportedly assured her that she could see her husband, but when she arrived at the police station she was refused access to him. She was however able to exchange some short written messages with him.

According to the same information, on 2 December 2009, Ms. Maret Mankieva was instructed to go to the Russian consulate where she was informed that an extradition request had been filed against her husband. She was reportedly not given any further information, including on whether charges were brought against him. She was only told that he might be involved in activities with some groups in Egypt.

Since her visit to the Russian consulate, Ms. Maret Mankieva has had no information about her husband and his current whereabouts. He could still be detained at Al Laban police station but this could not be confirmed.

On 2 October 2006, Mr. Ihragim Zautdinovich Mankiev and his family had left Russia for Egypt to escape the harassment to which they had reportedly been subjected by the authorities in Ingushetia in connection with his religious activity. They have since then been living in Egypt.

OMCT is seriously concerned about the safety of Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev, as his whereabouts remain unknown. OMCT fears that he may have already been extradited to Russia, where he is at risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment. OMCT has documented several cases of persons having been subjected to acts of torture and other ill-treatment while in detention in Russia, including in order to extract confessions.

OMCT urges the Egyptian authorities to ensure a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the disappearance Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev. Furthermore, OMCT urges Egypt to guarantee his physical and psychological integrity, at all times, in accordance with regional and international human rights law, and in particular the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. OMCT recalls to the Egyptian authorities the absolute prohibition of sending a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Egypt urging them to:

1. Take all necessary measures to locate and disclose Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev’s whereabouts;
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
3. Grant Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev unconditional access to both a lawyer of his choice and to his family, as well as guarantee that he is examined by independent doctors and receives adequate medical care, in accordance, inter alia, with the abovementioned treaties as well as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;
4. Immediately halt the extradition of Mr. Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev as there are fears that he may be at risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment in Russia;
5. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards.

Addresses

• President of the Republic, Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, Fax: +202 390 1998, E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg;
• Egyptian Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud Abdel Meguid, Dar al Qadha al-'Ali, Ramses Street, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: + 20 2 2577 4716;
• Minster of Interior, Minister Habib Ibrahim El Adly, 25 Al-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +20 22 796 0682 Email: center@iscmi.gov.eg or moi@idsc.gov.eg;
• National Council for Human Rights, Ambassador Mokhless Kotb, Secretary General, 1113 Corniche El Nil, Midane Al Tahrir, Specialized National Councils Building – 11th floor, NDP Building, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +2022 574 7497, Email: nchr@nchr.org.eg.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and International Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Mr. Wael Abu al-Magd, Corniche al-Nil, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +20 22 574 9713
• Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, H.E. Mr. Hisham Badr, Avenue Blanc 49, 1202 Geneva, Fax: +41 22 738 44 15, Email: mission.egypt@ties.itu.int

Please also write to the embassies of Egypt in your respective country.

Geneva, 17 December 2009

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.