Protestors against Sinai torture arrested

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Egyptian State Security Intelligence Stops Solidarity March and Arrests Human Rights Activists in Arish

The international solidarity March, leaving Cairo today, 10th of December, heading for Rafah to express solidarity with the struggles of the Palestinian people, has been stopped at the gates of the North Sinai governorate, some 170 km to the south of Arish. At the same time organizers of the march learned that Ashraf Ayoub, Ashraf Gouaidar, Ashraf Hofni, Mhamed Khatabiu, Alaa El Kashef and Aytman Roufeili, founders of the Committee for Citizens’ rights in the North of Sinai have been arrested an hour ago by SSI police and are, at the time of writing this release, held at the SSI headquarters of Arish, where hundreds of Arish citizens have been subject to the most brutal forms of torture for the past two months.

Participants in the solidarity march are Egyptian antiwar and human rights activists and members of the press, joined by 35 international antiwar activist among whom are 19 from France, 6 from the UK, 2 from Spain, 4 from Greece, one from Turkey and one from Austria.

We call upon you to urgently send letters of protest to Egyptian officials demanding the immediate release of the activists who have played a crucial role in exposing the crimes of torture taking place in Arish and who have provided an urgently needed help to torture survivors.

The international solidarity March planning to head for Rafah today was organized in agreement with the resolutions of the antiwar conference organized Sept. 17-19 at Le Bristol Hotel in Beirut

Click "more" below for details on how to appeal to the authorities for their release.



APPEALS TO:


Mohammad Hosni Mubarak


President of the Arab Republic of Egypt


'Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt


Fax:                    + 202 390 1998


 


General Habib al-Adeli


Ministry of the Interior


Al-Sheikh Rihan Street


Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt


E-mail:               moi@idsc.gov.eg


Fax:                    + 202 579 2031


 


Mahmoud Abu El Lail Rashed


Ministry of Justice


Midan Lazoghly, Cairo, Egypt


E-mail:               mojeb@idsc.gov.eg 


Fax:                    + 202 795 8103


 


Counsellor Maher 'Abd al-Wahid


Public Prosecutor


Dar al-Qadha al-'Ali


Ramses Street, Cairo, Egypt


Fax: + 202 577 4716

COPIES TO: diplomatic representatives of Egypt accredited to your country and hosams@link.net.