Press conference for release of prisoners of conscience El-Shater and colleagues

In light of the current events following the People’s Revolution and the ousting of the dictatorial regime and its leader Mubarak, a statement was issued by the Muslim Brotherhood deputy chairman Khairat el Shater, businessman Hassan Malek, Dr. Ossama Suleiman and their colleagues families who are currently detained by an unjust rule by military court of sentences ranging between 3-7 years.

The detainees and their families have in fact have called for pardons and were entitled to parole and release in more than one accounts and have received acquittals by Civilian courts which were defied by the former tyrannical and corrupt system.

On this note the detainees and their families speak on behalf of all the detainees who remain unjustly detained and detainees who are entitled to release on the grounds that there are no legitimate charges or evidence found by either military or security services to keep them detained.

Engineer Shater and Mr. Hassan Malik and Dr. Osama Suleiman assert that they are entitled to immediate released on the grounds that:
 
-They have been tried by a deposed and corrupt regime which is now ousted and no longer exists.

– Former Interior Minister Habib el Adly responsible for the detainees’ confinement is currently detained in the same jails imprisoned for a transgression of the rights of citizens proving that the detainees were held unjustly and must be released.

-The detainees have served more than three-quarters of their sentences and according to law are entitled to release.

– We call on officials to respond to the detainees’ demands and restore the rights of the prisoners of conscience who were wronged for many years’ rights and release them as soon as possible.

– We are entitled to be with our parents, wives and children which we have been prevented from seeing by the former corrupt and ousted regime.

A press conference is scheduled to be held for the families of the prisoners of conscience at the Journalist Syndicate on Wednesday February 23, at 6 pm Cairo time to highlight the situation and the imperativeness of the immediate release to all those who have been unjustly detained and remain in prison.

It has been also agreed that the millions scheduled to rally on Friday February 25th will also advocate and call for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience.

Lastly we call on the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry to look into our demands as we believe it is their moral responsibility to restore our rights and give all those detained what is righty theirs.