Rights Groups: Egyptian Authorities Must Halt Execution of Death Sentences Issued in Unfair Trials

Rights Groups: Egyptian Authorities Must Halt Execution of Death Sentences Issued in Unfair Trials
As the countdown to the latest execution orders after unfair trials ticks away, several human rights organizations – in a joint statement – urged Egyptian authorities to stop the execution of death sentences against 6 of the Egyptian youths accused in case No. 781 for 2014 – South Mansoura (recorded as No. 26 for 2014 – Supreme State Security Crimes), known as the "killing of the guard" case, which were upheld by the Egyptian Court of Cassation on Wednesday – June 7, 2017. The rights organizations stressed that the death sentences issued in unfair trials can in no way warrant ending of citizens’ right to life.

The Court of Cassation recently rejected appeals by six youths, upholding the death sentences issued against them:

1. Khalid Refaat Gad Askar – graduate, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, and graduate student; was abducted by security forces from a street on March 2, 2014.

2. Ibrahim Yahya Abdel-Fattah Azab – graduate, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University; was arrested and detained since he was a student in the fourth year at university; was abducted by coup forces from an apartment in Al-Morour Street in Mansoura City on March 1, 2014.

3. Ahmed Al-Walid Al-Sayed Al-Shal – Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University; was abducted on March 2, 2014 while driving his car in Ahmed Maher Street in Mansoura City.

4. Abdel-Rahman Mohamed Abdo Attia – student (fourth year), Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University; was arrested randomly in March 2014.

5. Bassem Mohsen Al-Khoribi – 27 years old, an engineer working for a subsidiary of the Railways Authority; was abducted on March 4, 2014 from a street in Mansoura.

6. Mamdouh Wahba – student (second year), Faculty of Engineering; was abducted by coup forces on March 2, 2014.

The rights organizations warned against implementation of the death sentences in this case, which did not observe the minimum guarantees of a fair trial in its proceedings and in its merits, since the accused had been subjected to enforced disappearance and illegally detained. Evidently, official complaints had reported the forced disappearance and detention of these youths to relevant local authorities in Egypt. Furthermore, these youths had also been subjected to severe torture to extract confessions about acts they did not do.

The statement called on international organizations and their advisory and legal bodies to take sufficient measures to safeguard the lives of the six young people, ensure a fair trial for all – with proper legal procedures – and compel the Egyptian regime to respect human rights. The Egyptian regime was also called upon to abide by the law and to stop crimes against citizens: executions through an unfair judicial system, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and other violations and crimes against the accused.

Signatories:

1. El-Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture

2. Adalah of Rights and Freedoms

3. Heliopolis for Political Development and Human Rights Researches

4. Regional Center for Rights and Liberties

5. Committee for Justice – Geneva