The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
PRESS RELEASE

Two Students Referred to the Emergency High State Security Court

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) received with deep
concern the news of the referral of two students to the Supreme State
Security Court for Emergency. Both students are members of the Central
Youth Union of Al-Amal (Labor) Party in Cairo and Giza. Ahmed Khamis
Mahmoud, 23 years old, is the Secretary General of the Youth Section of
Al-Amal Party. Ahmed Foaad Ibrahim, 20 years old, is the Assistant to
the Secretary General of the Youth Section of Al-Amal Party. The police
forces arrested these two students in the evening of the 17th August
1999.=20


According to the information received by the EOHR, the defendants were
referred to Al-Azbakeyya Prosecution Department in connection with the
report no. 4241/1999. They were charged by the Prosecutor with
disseminating inflammatory information threatening to the public
security and with possession of tools (leaflets and spray paint) of
dissemination hostile to the government. They were also charged with
writing on the wall of Masr Train Station. This writing was
anti-Zionist, refused normalization with Israel and condemned the
imprisonment of Al-Shaab journalists. The prosecutor ordered their
imprisonment for thirteen days pending investigation. They were released
on September 9th, 1999. They were referred to the Supreme State Security
Court for Emergency according to article no. 102 of the penal code. This
decision was issued on February 2nd, 2000, but the accused were not
informed until the first week of March 2000. The first hearing of this
trial will be held next Thursday, 9th March 2000, in Al-Azbakeyya Court.


The EOHR asserts the necessity of providing and protecting the right to
fair trial and freedom of expression and calls for the opening of
democratic channels for political participation according to the
international covenants for human rights that the Egyptian Government
have ratified. The EOHR condemns the referral of ordinary citizens to
exceptional courts, which neglect all legal guarantees of the
defendants, and urges the President of the Republic of Egypt to stop the
Emergency Law, which permits these referrals.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR)
E-maileohr@link.com.eg
Webpagehttp//www.eohr.org.eg
Tel+20-(2)-3636811      +20-(2)-3620467
Fax +20-(2)-3621613

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