EGY 001 / 0508 / OBS 074
Assault / Intimidation
Egypt
May 7, 2008
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention regarding the following situation in Egypt.
The Observatory has been informed by the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) about the assault against Ms. Magda Adly, a medical doctor and a member of the El Nadim Centre for Psychological Management and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence.
According to the information received, on April 30, 2008, Drs. Magda Adly and Mona Hamed were assaulted inside the courthouse of the town of Kafr El Dawwar in Northern Egypt. Indeed, upon entering the courthouse, Dr. Adly was attacked by a man who appeared to attempt to steal her handbag and pushed her on the floor, causing her a cut wound to her left eyebrow as well as a possible dislocation of her shoulder. Moreover, she experienced a period of unconsciousness and confusion. After the assault, the man would have confessed that he had acted upon orders of Chief intelligence officer Ahmed Maklad of the Kafr El Dawwar police. While hospitalised, Ms. Adly was interrogated for two hours, starting at 1 pm on the morning of May 1, 2008.
In addition, the car of Dr. Mona Hamed, another member of the El Nadim Centre, was destroyed in the course of the events under circumstances that are yet unclear.
These events happened immediately before the two doctors were to appear in Court and testify in a case concerning several members of a local family who had been subjected to torture by local police. Indeed, on the morning of April 30, 2008, El Nadim Centre had released a statement calling for an investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of members of the Sobhi Mohamed Sobhi Hussein family by the local police in Kafr El Dawwar[1].
The Observatory expresses its deep concern about these acts of intimidation against Ms. Magda Adly and Ms. Mona Hamed, and fears that they might be aimed at sanctioning her activities in favour of human rights.
Please write to the Egyptian authorities to urge them to :
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Egypt in your respective countries
Geneva-Paris, May 7, 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
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