Repeal of the sentence issued against Messrs. Kamal Abbas and Mohamed Helmy

March 4, 2008

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information regarding the following situation in Egypt.

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS) about the repeal, by the Southern Cairo Court of Appeal of Helwan, of the one-year-imprisonment sentence that had been issued against Messrs. Kamal Abbas, CTUWS General Coordinator, and Mohamed Helmy, his lawyer.

According to the information received, on February 27, 2008, the Southern Cairo Court of Appeal of Helwan decided to cancel the sentence issued against Messrs. Abbas and Helmy on October 11, 2007 for “slander and defamation of character”.

The Observatory welcomes this decision and wishes to thank all the persons, institutions and organisations who intervened in their favour. Although the Observatory regards this decision as a positive example to be followed by the Egyptian judiciary as it goes towards concrete protection of human rights defenders, it recalls that several defenders are still facing harsh harassment and that several NGO branches, including CTUWS, have been closed down since March and April 2007, thus clearly violating freedom of association.

Background information:

On October 11, 2007, Messrs. Kamal Abbas and Mohamed Helmy were sentenced to one year imprisonment by an Egyptian court. Both men were taken to court after publishing a report in the CTUWS magazine Kalam Sinai’ia (Workers’ Talk) about an investigation into financial and administrative irregularities in the running of the youth centre, in which Mr. Mohamed Mustapha Ibrahim, Chairman of the board of directors of a youth centre in 15 May City (Cairo) and a member of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), was involved. The allegations of corruption against Mr. Ibrahim were in fact corroborated by an internal investigation conducted by the Youth Centre, whose Board of Directors was subsequently dissolved by the Governor of Cairo.

On March 29, 2007, the Naj-Hamadi section of the CTUWS, in the Qena Governorate (Upper Egypt), was closed down by an administrative decision issued by the Mayor of the town. The CTUWS section was in particular accused of inciting demonstrations and strikes that took place in the Delta region in December 2006 and January 2007, which CTUWS denied.

Furthermore, on April 10, 2007, the Governor of El-Gharbiya ordered to shut down the CTUWS section in the town of Mahalla.

On April 22, 2007, the police went to the CTUWS headquarters in Helwan (Cairo) and ordered the closure of the office on the basis of an administrative order issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

In addition, over 2007, the CTUWS was targeted by a smear campaign organised by the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF), which has consistently accused CTUWS of inciting workers’ strikes.

Action requested:

Please write to the Egyptian authorities to urge them to :

1. Put an end to all forms of harassment against CTUWS’ activities, repeal the administrative decision to close down its headquarters in Cairo and its two offices in Naj-Hamadi and Mahalla, and ensure in all circumstances that its members are able to carry out their work freely without any hindrances;
2. Put an end to all forms of harassment against human rights defenders in Egypt;
3. Conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular its Articles 1 (“everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”) and 12.2 (“The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the [...] Declaration”);
4. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Egypt.

Addresses:

• The Governor of Qena, Mr. Magdi Ayob Eskandar, Qena Governorate, Quenna City Hall – Quena, Fax: + 096 533 2640/2642
• President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg, Fax: +202 390 1998
• Prime Minister Mr. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohamed Nazif, Magles El Shaab Street, Kasr El Aini Street, Cairo, Egypt. Fax: + 202 735 6449 / 7958016. Email: primemin@idsc.gov.eg
• Minister for Social Solidarity, Dr. Ali El-Sayed Al-Moselhi, Fax: + 202 7956387
• The Minister for Planning and Local Government, Dr. Othman Mohamed Othman, Infront of El Obour Building, Nasr Clity, Cairo, Egypt. Fax: + 202 349 6795 / 401 4705
• Minister of the Interior, General Habib Ibrahim Habib El Adly, Ministry of the Interior, El-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: moi1@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 579 2031 / 794 5529
• Minister of Justice, Mr. Mamdoh Mohie E-din Marie, Ministry of Justice, Magles El Saeb Street, Wezaret Al Adl, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: mojeb@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 795 8103
• Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Maher ‘Abd al-Wahid, Dar al-Qadha al-’Ali, Ramses Street, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +202 577 4716
• National Council For Human Rights, Fax: + 202 5747497 / 5747670
• Ambassadeur Sameh Shoukry, 49 avenue Blanc, 1202 Genève, Switzerland, Email: mission.egypt@ties.itu.int, Fax: +41 22 738 44 15
• Embassy of Egypt in Brussels, 19 avenue de l’Uruguay, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 675.58.88; Email: embassy.egypt@skynet.be

Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Egypt in your respective countries

Geneva-Paris, March 4, 2008

Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply. The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

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

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT: (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29

Email: Appeals@fidh-omct.org