Joint Statements

Twelve human rights organizations under the umbrella of the Forum for Independent Egyptian Human Rights Organizations strongly condemn the bombings which took place on New Year's day targeting worshippers leaving Saints Church in Alexandria after New Year's church service. The bombings killed 22 and injured at least 97 others according to official figures. Until the writing of this press release no group has claimed responsibility for this crime. Forum organizations denounce this terrible massacre which ushered in the new…

Saturday’s events in Alexandria, Egypt are a worrying development consolidating the repressive approach adopted by the Ministry of Interior in dealing with peaceful protests. The Egyptian security used excessive force against peaceful protestors and youth activists who staged peaceful protests in Alexandria demanding the Ministry of Interior to end torture and other abuses and stop covering up for criminals and using false witnesses to enforce impunity. Security forces physically assaulted a number of activists, among them…

Update: Yucef released on the 29th of November 2010. Update: Prosecution extends Yucef's detention 15 more days. Journalist and activist Yucef Shabaan was supposed to present today in front of the magistrate of appeal to decide upon his release or extension of his administrative detention. On Friday the 19th of November 2010 the Raml prosecution in Alexandria had ordered the detention of Shabaan for 4 days.. By law this decision should have expired today at 2.30 p.m. and Shabaan should have been released. But Yucef did not…

Like thousands of Egyptian young people Ahmed Doma, poet, blogger and media officer of the committee of prisoners of conscience dreamt of a life free of an emergency law, and security persecution of activists. On the 3rd of May 2010 Doma responded with other young people to a call by several MPs and representatives of Egyptian political groups to participate in a demonstration from the Omar Makram mosque in down town Tahrir square to the People's Assembly to submit a petition concerning democratic change, drafted by a wide…

On Tuesday, 11 May, the Prime Minister announced in a speech to the People’s Assembly, “As it seeks a two-year extension of the Emergency Law, the government vows before the People’s Assembly not to employ the exceptional measures permitted by the Emergency Law except to confront the dangers of terrorism and drugs and to the degree necessary to confront them…The Emergency Law shall not be used to encroach on liberties or diminish rights…if the issue is not these two dangers…The government also vows to limit provisions of the…