EGYPT: Anti-war activists arrested and tortured

By Ahmed Ben Bella, George Galloway & John Rees

At least 13 Egyptian activists against the war on Iraq have been arrested. Ten remain in custody; 11 of the 13 arrested have been tortured.

We have received a plea for solidarity from a broad range of anti-war and human rights groups in Egypt. We ask you to support their appeal, which reads in part:

"On January 18, State Security Police arrested 11 activists participating in an anti-war demonstration in Cairo. [On] February 8, they arrested and detained Ibrahim El Sahari, journalist and founding member of Center for Socialist Studies and prominent activist in the Egyptian antiwar movement....

"We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues and a stop to the harassment of the Egyptian solidarity movements, which are exercising their legitimate rights."

Those in custody are Sabri Al Sammak, Ibrahim Al Sahari, Tamer Hindawi, Abdel Gawad Ahmed, Mohammed Khalil, Samir Al Foli, Magdi Al Kordi, Mahmoud Hassan, Mohammed Dakhli and Mohammed Hosni.

Please protest to:

President Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Telegram: President of the Republic, Cairo, Egypt. Phone: +202 390 1998. Email: <webmaster@presidency.gov.eg>.

General Habib al-Adeli, Ministry of the Interior. Telegram: Minister Interior, Cairo, Egypt. Phone: +202 579 2031. Email: <moi@idsc.gov.eg>.

Send protests to diplomatic representatives of Egypt accredited to your country.

[From <http://www.stopwar.org.uk>.]

From Green Left Weekly, February 26, 2003.

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From GLW issue 527