Published in Ahram Online on February 16, 2013 Just who is destroying the state, Mr Minister? The justice minister’s claim that police reform would destroy the state is groundless. It is those who excuse torture that will bring Egypt to collapse On 26 January, a few hours before the sentencing of defendants in the Port Said Stadium case, Alaa Abd El Fattah — one of the first bloggers in Egypt and courageous human rights activists who paid a high price for the triumph of truth and justice —appeared on a television programme. Abdel-Fatah was arrested in 2006 in demonstrations demanding…
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Posted on Facebook on February 5, 2013 Earlier today I went to a meeting in the Ministry of Justice to discuss a new draft law for freedom of information. I had spent the past two days studying the bill, and even though I thought it was a bad bill, falling far short of what I think we deserve in Egypt after our revolution. I did my homework and went with an open mind expecting to push for more openness. I met with my friends Nagla Rizk, Hossam Bahgat and Amr Gharbeia in the meeting hall and were all looking forward to a fruitful discussion. However,…
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Published in Ahram Online on November 14, 2012 Human rights NGOs say that 11 people died from torture in police stations during Morsi’s tenure, but the issue is not being addressed by the government. It is the first anniversary of the death of Essam Ali Atta – an occasion to revisit the issue of torture and ask what President Morsi has done so far to confront this serious issue. Atta was a 25-year-old young man who was arrested by the military police on 25 February last year, and charged with illegally occupying an apartment in Moqattam. Only one day after…
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