The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
PRESS RELEASE

17 February 1999

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) received with deep
concern news of the arrest by State Security Investigations (SSI) officers
of nine members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria, on the
evening of 14 February 1999. The following day, 15 February, they were
referred to the State Security Prosecution  in connection with official
report no. 193/1999-High State Security. They are accused of joining an
illegal group which aims to hamper the implementation of the Constitution
and the law; possession of leaflets which call for hatred for the regime
and threaten public security. The State Security Prosecution ordered their
imprisonment for 15 days pending investigations. Following are the names of
those arrested and some details of their case:


1-      Ibrahim Khalil Omar Al-Za'farani, aged 43, doctor and assistant
secretary general of the Doctors Syndicate in Alexandria.  On 22 January
1995, he received a three-year prison sentence in connection with case no.
8/1995-Military Criminal. Although the imprisonment term was completed on
23 January 1998, he was not released. Instead, a detention order was issued
on 26 January 1998. He was finally released on 19 March 1998.
2-      Ali Abdel-Fattah Ali Abdel-Fattah, aged 46, general director of the
Doctors Syndicate Club of Alexandria.
3-      Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, aged 46, program analyst and administrative
expert.
4-      Salih Gaber, civil servant.
5-      Mahmoud Abdel-Mo'min Al-Sayid Faris, aged 32, company owner. 
6-      Abdel-Nasser Ali Abdalla, employee at a private company.


The EOHR has learnt that the above mentioned were arrested on their way to
visit Abdel-Nasser Ali Abdalla. 


7-      Osama Mohamed Gado, aged 37, lawyer at the Public Authority for Sanitary
Drainage, in Alexandria.
8-      Ibrahim Al-Sayid, petroleum sector engineer. 
9-      Hamdi Mahmoud Abdel-Haleem, aged 46, headmaster at the Madina
Al-Morawara Secondary School, in Alexandria.


The EOHR is seriously concerned over the continuation of the arrest
campaigns launched by the SSI against members of the Muslim Brotherhood and
the violations committed against some of them. The organization appeals to
the authorities to stop these campaigns and respect the right of citizens
from all political and ideological trends to peaceful assembly, a right
which is guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution and international human
rights standards ratified by the Egyptian government. The EOHR also calls
on all civil society institutions, political parties, and intellectuals to
work together for the defense of freedom of opinion and expression, the
right to peaceful assembly, and the right of all citizens, whatever their
political or ideological orientation, to personal safety. It also calls on
them to urge the Egyptian government to take serious and prompt steps to
top these violations which threaten the situation of  human rights in
Egypt. 

This document is published online by Derechos Human Rights. Derechos works against violations to human rights and humanitarian law all over the world.