The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
PRESS
RELEASE
The Court of Cassation accepted the re-trial of Dr. Saad El Deen Ibrahim and his associates |
Cairo: 6/2/2002
EOHR is glad towards the ruling of the court of Cassation, which issued in the session of 6th Feb. 2002. The court accepted the appeal and challenge of Dr. Saad and referred him to the State Security Felony Court .
Dr. Saad El Deen , a sociologist and the director of Ibn Khaldun Center for Developmental Studies, was sentenced to prison terms of seven year on 23/5/2001while his 27 associates were sentenced to prison terms ranging between one and five seven years. Nine of them receive a suspended sentence for three years.
The previous ruling based on the exceptional and defective legal texts of the military decree No.4 of year 1992. This military decree was issue in accordance with the power of the military ruler by virtue of emergency law no. 162 of year 1958. It is worth mentioning that Dr. Saad El Deen and nine of his associates challenged this previous ruling which was scheduled to be heard on 19/12/2001 but it was delayed to 16/1/2001then the court issued the ruling in its session today. According to the ruling of the Cassation Court, Dr Saad El Deen and his associates have the right to re-trial before the State Security Felony Court in another district and by a new judicial body. EOHR hopes that the accusations will not based on the military decree no.4 of year 1992 especially that the cassation court announced before that issuing military decrees, which add crimes and penalty, is an assassination of the legislative power.
