El Nadeem Center against Violence and Torture

Public attorney refuses to send Bahaa Saber for forensic medical examination

UPDATE: Bahaa was released on Thursday April 15 after paying 5000 EGPs bail. The public attorney for North Cairo refused to refer Bahaa Saber for forensic examination without giving plausible reasons. The obvious reason is the wish of the prosecution to wait until Bahaa's injuries are healed to cover up for the torture he suffered by the hands of intelligence officers of both el Azbakeyya and Boulaq Abu El Ela police stations. Another story of the usual complicity between the prosecution and the police. Bahaa Saber was one…

Diaries of Torture – March 2010

This month the Association for Freedom and Expression observed an escalation in violence by security personnel and of arrest campaigns against Egyptian university students and their families. During the period of February 24th - April 15th 2010, the Association observed a massive number of student arrests, resulting in the incarceration of approximately 70 students.  Some of these students were kept in detention for a period of four days; others had their incarceration renewed for a period of fifteen days after the initial…

Towards the “militarization” of NGOs: A “fascist” law to strangle civil society

The undersigned non-governmental organizations wish to express their extreme dismay at recent news that the Ministry of Social Solidarity has completed a draft for a new NGO law. According to the latest leaked copy, the bill is more restrictive and draconian than repressive bill already in place. It is expected to pass into law with the approval of the government parliamentary majority in the coming month. It seems that the haste to pass the bill is attributable to a desire to undermine civil society efforts to monitor the…

Zeitoun case defendant exposes torture injuries in court

Six months later torture marks still visible through the cage bars Maltreatment allegedly continues in prison Today, Saturday the 20th of March, the Emergency State security court of Abbaseyya, Cairo held the second session in what has come to be known as El-Zeitoun case. The defendants remained handcuffed while in the court house and although the judge ordered the handcuffs to be removed upon the request of the lawyers, the senior rank security authorities present in the court room ignored the order, but then had to…

Finally a trial after two years of torture and harassment

UPDATE: The case has been adjourned until Dec 28 after Shady's lawyers requested that the civil claim be announced and the police station's log book be made available to them. El Nadeem Centre invites all who are interested in combatting torture, individuals involved in Human Rights or media institutions to join in solidarity with Shady Maged Sa’ad Zaghloul and his wife. He was arrested and tortured in 6th October City Police Station two. After having made a complaint to the prosecutor’s office and showing his injuries and…

Beatings and harassment of a family: punishment for a citizen refusing to become an informer

Mohamed Sobhi Mohamed El Farakh is an Egyptian 53 year old man who works as a construction carpenter, he is married and has 3 living children; a daughter who is divorced and two sons. He lost his son Adel four years ago to AIDS. He was infected during a blood transfusion in Al Asafera specialist hospital, which led to the closure of the hospital. The hospital was reopened four months later by a decision from the governor. The death of Adel is not the last tragedy Mohamed Sobhi El Farakh has had to face. He was contacted more…

The justice system succeeds on behalf of a citizen who was beaten by a Police Colonel’s truncheon, causing a brain hemorrhage

A five year sentence for the use of cruelty and causing permanent injury Al Nadeem Centre and the signatory organisations welcome the news of the judicial decision of 7 November 2009 from the Alexandria Criminal Court, which sentences Colonel Akram Ahmed Suleiman to five years imprisonment and awards temporary compensation of ten thousand and one Egyptian pounds, under the charge of the use of cruelty and causing permanent injury to Raga’i Mounir Sultan by using an implement (truncheon). The incident dates back to 27/7/2008…

An order to remove a stable fence leads to the loss of the life of a citizen at the hands of the Police in Damanhoor

The Prosecutor’s office of Damanhoor gave an order of arrest of Major Mohamed Roshdy yesterday Friday 30/10/2009 . He is the head of demolitions at the Damanhoor Police Centre, he is to be charged with the homicide of Mohamed Ramzy Ali Ibrahim Al Sharkawy a 62 year old farmer who lives in the village of Menia Atteya under the Damanhoor Police Centre of Beheira governorate. This is case number 7366 for the year 2009 of the Damanhoor Police Centre. It was also decided that the driver of the demolition truck should be detained…

From inside the prison, a formal complaint against the Minister of Interior and the Director of Agouza Police Station

More than ten court rulings for release, yet Mohamed Abd El Rahim Mohamed Al Sharkawy remains detained Tomorrow the 28 of October 2009 at 2:00PM Mr. Ziad Al Alimi and a number of activists from Al Nadeem centre will go to the office of the Public Prosecutor of Cairo to present an official complaint against the Minister of Interior and the Director of Agouza Police Station. Mr. Mohamed Abd Al Rahim Mohamed Al Sharkawy has been detained for over 14 years, without being charged with or tried for any crime. The Ministry of…

The retrial of the attacker of the director of Al Nadeem Centre

The postponement of the trial to the the 3rd of November On the 31st of August the criminal court of Damanhour will consider case 6136 of the year 2008 of felonies of Kafr el Dawar. The victim in this case is Doctor Magda Adly the director of Al Nadeem centre and the accused is Ahmed Antar Ibrahim. The details of this case go back to April 2008 where Dr Magda Adly, with a group of human rights activists, was covering a hearing in Kafr el Dawar. An area in which citizens are exposed to incidents of torture. After the…