Egypt’s Ruling NDP Detains and spies on Reformers

Egypt’s Ruling NDP Detains and spies on Reformers

 The Arabic Network for Human Rights denounced the continuous crack down of the Egyptian security services on activists demanding democratic reform and the violation of the activists’ legal rights of expression and privacy. This took place after the discovery of devices to listen in to conversations that were placed in the office of the coordinator of the popular campaign in support of El-Baradei, and the poet, Abdul-Rahman Yousef, who calls for change. It also denounced the detention of an activist from the National Assembly for Change who was held for nearly 10 hours by police at Attarine police station while stickers, calling for democratic reform, were being put in place in Mahatet el Raml square, Alexandria.


Those responsible for the Popular Campaign in Support of El-Baradei have noticed that a lot of important information connected with their campaign has been leaked, which has led to the discovery of some movements of the campaign and its legal activities. It also led to the abortion of the campaign by the Egyptian security. The matter escalated to the extent that recordings were made of the activists during some of the campaign’s meetings. One of the campaign’s leaders in Sharqiya encountered these recordings during his interrogation at the headquarters of the SSI after his arrest. All these actions have led activists to keep track of the recordings’ sources until they discovered some small-scale eavesdropping devices in the office of poet, Abdul-Rahman Yousef, coordinator of the campaign yesterday, Saturday, November 6, 2010.


The poet, Abdel-Rahman Yousef, said to ANHRI: “It is not a strange matter for security forces to do such things, as it has engaged in violations of all laws and legislation for 30 years, including the Emergency Law itself. Repressive governments especially can not live without violating the law. It is natural to spy on activists, writers and intellectuals without feeling any embarrassment in front of people or history.”


On the other hand, specifically in Mahatet el-Raml station, Alexandria, activist, Safwan Mohammed – owner of the first power of attorney for Dr Mohamed El-Baradei, and founder of  AYEZ HAQY movement – said: “I want my rights,” seeking support for demands concerned with democratic reform. Upon his return from Geneva at 7 am on Friday, he found himself in front of many of the large-scale posters in the square, and the posters were in favor of the president and the secretary of policies in the National Democratic Party. The poet wanted to take advantage of the permit of an official in the city, in which he said that these posters are legal and there is no reason to remove them. He immediately decided to find a place in the square for the posters of the National Assembly for Change and the slogans that reject inheritance of power and call for demands for change. So, he put up the posters, which contain the demands of democratic reform. However, the bias of the security force of the ruling party led to his arrest and he was taken to Attarine police station and detained for 10 hours. He spent half of them standing without food, despite his great need for food and rest, especially as he was on his way home after returning from a long journey.


ANHRI spokesman said: “Now there is no place for laws and legislation with the Egyptian security services, which have forgotten their real role to protect citizens and enforce law and it has become the first and the greatest violator of the rights of the Egyptian people and the most disrespectful of the law.”


”The attorney general must open a just investigation into this matter and hold accountable those who are responsible for it, as the continuation of impunity is the thing which has made  the security forces lend a deaf ear to all laws and legislation without being held accountable," the ANHRI spokesman added.