December 10, 2006
79 minutes read

Essam Al Erian Calls For Freedom For All Political Prisoners

The Prosecution on December 9,2006, ordered the release of MB leader Dr. Essam Al Erian after 13 times of renewal of detention in 7 months. On an a telephone conversation with Dream 2 Satellite Television, Al Erian said that once the news was made public, many figures from various political trends extended congratulations to him on his release, citing ex Prime Minister Dr. Aziz Sedki who heads the National Alliance for Change, and Islamist figure Dr. Magdy Korkor and several other names. Asked who was the first to congratulate him upon his release, Al Erian said "It was my prison gaurds in Al Mazra’a Prison who congratulated me once they knew of the news of my release", attributing this position on the part of the prison officials to the good relations with them as well as soldiers and even other prisoners. However, Al Erian lamented that he left behind about 40 MB members who are still in prison, hoping for their release and freedom, in addition to thousands of prisoners who live under grave conditions. Dr. Al Erian called on the media and human right organizations to focus on their case. He added that the Attorney General responsible for the government’s non compliance with the law and the serious trend within the Ministry of Interior acquitting the defendant from a case to involve him in another one before he is released, as is the case with him and other MB members.

The detention of two top members of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood- in prison for seven months- have been prolonged for two more weeks, which means that their detention has been prolonged 13 times so far.

Essam el-Erian and Mohammed Morsi, were jailed for organizing

pro-reform protests last May. The two- leading members of Egypt’s largest Islamic political organization- are among more than 500 members who were detained by the authorities in May when several demonstrations were held in support of two reformist judges who were facing disciplinary action.

It is worth mentioning that a lower court ordered, last August, the release of the two MB members after they spent three months in

jail without charges. However, two days later, a higher court

overhauled that ruling, and they remained in prison.

Al Erian is a leading member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and a former member of the Egyptian parliament. He a medical doctor and treasurer of the Egyptian Doctors’ Syndicate. He was arrested also last year for five months during a wave of anti-government protests but was released after the Egyptian presidential elections in September.

Morsi is a member of the Brotherhood’s political bureau and headed its bloc in 2000-2005 parliament.

The Brotherhood, outlawed but tolerant group, won nearly a fifth of the Parliamentary seats in last year’s elections, making it the largest opposition group.

Observers question the wisdom of keeping the two senior MB leaders. In particular, some say that the very reason is the issue of Tawreeth "hereditary transfer of rule" in Egypt, since the regime sees that Erian could be a stumbling block in the way of Tawreeth, so the regime opted, according to political circles, to excluding al Erian just as it did

with Ayman Nour who could have been a forerunner in the presidential election if free and fair elections is held in Egypt. The state spares no effort in excluding any candidate for the presidential elections, and even anyone expected to stand for these election to ensure that Gamal Mubarak wins unopposed.

Commenting on this issue, the Member of MB Executive Bureau, Dr. Mahmoud Ezzat said that the current legal and constitutional

system does not allow anyone, either Erian or any other Egyptian, to run for the presidential election, let alone to win the

election. Everything happening now isn’t strange to such dictatorial regime which persists in maintaining a despotic policy, but what is strange is that pathetic silence from the Egyptian elites and the local ans international civil societies. We all know the media campaign spearheaded by many human rights organizations to pressure the Egyptian regime to release the Chairman of Ghad Party, Ayman Nour and blogger Kareem al Shaer, but we see pathetic silence towards the detention of those two MB leaders. If those elites defend the freedom of expression, why are they standing idle towards those two MB leaders who are detained without committing any offence or crime?; is the freedom of expression a right given to a party to the exclusion of anther?

Profile of Dr. Essam el Erian

Full Name: Essam el Din Mohammed Hussein el Erian .

Pen Name: Essam el Erian.

Date and place of Birth: 28-4-1954, village of Nahia, Imbaba, Giza, Egypt.

Job: Pathologist.

Marital Status: Married with four children (three daughters and a son).

Qualifications:

-He obtained primary stage from Nahia Primary School with high marks (%94). He obtained prep and secondary certificates from Orman School in Dokki, Giza, with 91%. He obtained an MSc in Clinical Pathology in1986 from Cairo University, graded very good.

He has signed in for the PhD from Cairo University but was blocked by imprisonment. He holds several other certificates, mainly a BA from the Faculty of Law, Cairo University in 1992, graded very

good, BA from Faculty of Arts , Cairo University in 2000, graded very good. He holds a certificate in Koran recital rules, Cairo 2000. This year, he has finished the BA in Islamic Sharia, Azhar University (exam results not declared yet). He is studying a diploma in general law, Cairo University.

Public Action:

-He was a cofounder of the Islamic student activities in Cairo and other Egyptian universities.

-He was in charge of the culture committee at the Student Union in the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University from 1972 to 1977.

-He represented the youth of the universities in the General Union of the

Islamic Societies and Groups in late 1970s, a union which was headed by former MB chairman Omar el Telmessany.

-He has been a member of the Egyptian 12000-member Doctors’ Syndicate since 1986, as well as the Syndicate’s Secretary

General.

-He was an MP in the parliamentary Session 1987-1990, for Imbaba constituency, Giza Governorate- he was the youngest member of parliament.

-He has participated in a number of political, parliamentary and cultural conferences in Egypt and the Arab and Muslim World as well as Europe and the Americas, and has contributed with a number of research papers and commentaries in these conferences.

– He is a columnist in several local and Arab newspaper in various

issues especially Islamic ones.

-He is a cofounder of the Islamic National Conference which was launched in 1993.

-He is a member in the Arab National Congress.

-He is a cofounder of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights since its inception in 1985, as well as member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights.

He coined what is now known as the Forum of the Professional Gatherings for Solidarity with the Palestinian Cause, to act as a popular establishment aiming to stand with the Palestinian people.

– Due to his political and Islamic activities, he received two prison sentences: The first one was in September 1981 before the assassination of President Sadat till late August 1982. The second was during Mubarak’s era, when he was court martialled and was sentenced to five years- from January 1995 to January 2000, on charges of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Profile of Dr. Mohammed Mursi

Full name: Mohammed Mohammed Mursi Essa el Ayyat.

Date of Birth: 20-8-1951.

Place of Birth: Al Adwa Village, Sharqiya Governorate, north of Egypt

Marital Status: Married with five children (Ahmed– Sheima’- Osama–

Omar- Abdullah).

Qualifications

– PhD in Engineering from South California University , 1982.

-MSc in Engineering from Cairo University, 1978.

-BSc in Engineering, Cairo University, 1975.

Life Career

-Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Sharqiya.

-Assistant Professor in South California University.

-Assistant Professor in California University, North Ridge.

Current Job: Head of Materials Department, Faculty of Engineering,

Zagazig University.

More Information

Dr. Mursi was a member of Zagazig Teaching Staff in 1994, and became a member of parliament for the Zagazig constituency in the

parliamentary session (2000-2005); he was also chairman of the

MB Parliamentary Bloc in this session. He ran for the 2005

Election and won 22000 votes while his rival won only 7000 votes;

even in the runoff election, he won 29000 votes against 11.5 for his rival, but the result was rigged in favor of the ruling party candidate.

He is also member of the MB Executive Bureau.

Detentions

Dr. Mursi was detained on 18-5-2006 during a march of protest staged at Abbasseya Square, Cairo, in solidarity with Egyptian reformist judges in their demands.