Cairo University Kidnapped Student Recalls Ordeal

Considered by many observers as a potential stereotype of how the security services will deal with students throughout the ongoing semester, what happened last Tuesday in Cairo University of kidnapping a student from inside the campus stirs a wakeup call against this unjustified escalation from the university administration against Muslim Brotherhood (MB) students. Kidnapping an MB student from inside the campus without any student demonstration or election proves that the relations between the MB students and security services will be tense this year.

Observers confirm that what happens inside the campus is also a miniature of what is happening agains the Muslim Brotherhood group outside it.

Ikhwanweb interviewed student Ali Barakat who was kidnapped last Tuesday to tell about what he faced during the worst 5 hours of detention he has ever faced.

Ali said” We- MB students- have previously agreed with the faculty dean on exercising our activities in general and to inform him of of this in return for giving a permission to do so without facing any harassment. When we demanded holding an exhibition, the union chief Dr. Ali Al Dib refused”.

” We went to the office of the dean to meet him, be he was absent and we met the faculty principal Dr. Galal Harbi who refused the idea of the exhibition and threatened us with punishment if we established it.”

“On the day scheduled for establishing the exhibition, the security services closed all university gates except for the main gate and the gate opposite to the faculty of Dar Al-Uloum. When we treid to enter the campus, the security assaulted and clashed with us and beat some of us and denied us access to the campus. So, we decided to cancel the exhibition and return of contents which we had brought with us, but the security besieged the taxi containing the exhibits, and started to beat those around the taxi and the taxi driver”.

“I intervened to ease tensions but the security started to beat me and pointed their weapons against me. I told them that I am a university student to allow me to enter university, but they refused and arrested me and took me in a patrol car”, added Ali.

“They took me to Giza security directorate. When I entered, one of them removed the Shirt was wearing to blindfold me and started to beat me. Then he took me to a seventh floor room where there was an officer who started to beat me with him. When I told him that I a student and that this beating hurts me, that we are in the holy month of Ramadan, he beat and insulted me and- to humiliate me- put me under his desk.” Said the kidnapped student.

  “Then, they took me to the second floor where they wrote a complaint in which they listed the exhibits and the officer asked me: Do you have a penknife, a razor or any other weapon? I replied that I am a bully, I am a student.

Then, they left me for two hours with seven officers who showered me with kicks and beating focusing their beating on the head and ear while I am handcuffed from the back.

I lost consciousness two times and they continued beating me.

He added that:” Then they took me to Giza police station, they received me with insults and maltreatment. Because I had diarrhea, asked the officer to go to the toilet but he refused. When I insisted on my request, because I am ill, he agreed but he allowed me while I am handcuffed from behind! I returned to him and asked him to untie me because can not enter the toilet in such a state! But he refused and he made me handcuffed from the front instead of behind. I entered toilet and he refused to make me closse the door and remained repeating so vulgar insults in front of me while I am in the toilet and it is open.

After more than an hour in the police station, an officer came to the deputy police chief and ordered him to write the complaint, saying:” Write anything he says and hurry up.

 After writing the complaint, they took me to the Giza prosecution where I was released.

They sent me back to the university, and I went with another MB student to meet the University President who stunned me saying:” Any wrong doer must be punished.” And I replied back:” If I err, it is you who should punish me. You are my professor, not the security.!

He promised me to investigate into the incident and to give me my right if a got wronged!

Commenting on what he face, Ali Barakat said:” What raises my eyebrows is that I am a student why do university guard do this against me. I accept that the University President punishes me if I committed anything wrong. I don”t accept that university guard, whose job is to protect university buildings, punish me.

“In spite of all this, our activity will continue and nothing will hinder us from doing anything as long as we believe in it” added Ali.