by PRI | Sep 20, 2017 | Arrest and Detention, Latest News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Julie Tarallo or Samantha Hiller Wednesday, September 20, 2017 (202) 224-7130 STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON MASS TRIAL IN EGYPT Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the mass trial in Egypt in which hundreds of people were unjustly sentenced to prison, including American citizen Ahmed Etiwy: “While it was encouraging to see the acquittal of Ibrahim Halawa, hundreds of other innocent people were unjustly sentenced in a mass trial involving 494 defendants, including American citizen Ahmed Etiwy. The trial defied any judicial precedent and reveals significant deficiencies of rule of law in Egypt. It is time for the Egyptian Judiciary to restore its reputation as an independent, non-politicized branch of government and either retry each of the defendants in line with international due process standards or commute their sentences. “Nearly 20 American citizens, NGO workers, and thousands of Egyptian dissidents remain behind bars under a deeply restrictive anti-protest law that infringes on internationally recognized rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. This is part of a troubling crackdown on civil society and independent voices across Egypt that threatens to undermine Egypt’s long-term security and stability. Congress should strengthen democratic benchmarks and human rights conditions on U.S. assistance for Egypt in order to hold the Government of Egypt accountable for its human rights violations.”...
by PRI | Sep 18, 2017 | Arrest and Detention, Case Studies, Latest News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, September 18, 2017 Contact: Jaime Horn; 917-523-0705 Jaime@NewHeightsCommunications.com Citizens Wrongfully Imprisoned in Egypt Sentenced Egyptian Court sentences American and Solah Soltan WASHINGTON (Monday, September 18, 2017) – Today, Freedom First, and Pretrial Rights International, both nonpartisan human rights groups based in Washington D.C., that aim to highlight the suffering of tens of thousands of prisoners in Egypt released the following statement regarding today’s hearing concerning the fate of two men who have been imprisoned in Egypt since 2013: “We are heartbroken by the court’s verdict for Ahmed Etiwy,” said Praveen Madhiraju of Pretrial Rights. “He is a college student, convicted for protesting at a protest that he never attended. Having already served more than 80% of his sentence, he should be released immediately and pardoned. President Trump is meeting with President Sisi this week in New York. We urge him to put these Americans first. Not President Sisi.” “My father, Salah Soltan, was sentenced to life in prison for giving a sermon where he asked protestors to disperse, respect the curfew and governmental institutions,” said Mohamed Soltan of Freedom First.“His case has always been politicized because of who he is, not what he did. This is Sisi’s Egypt.” Both groups expressed their joy for Ibrahim Halawa’s acquittal and urged the Egyptian government to release him immediately. Ahmed Etiwy, 27 of New York was arrested with two relatives after dropping his grandfather off at a bus station outside the Al-Fath mosque. Ibrahim Halawa, 21, was arrested with three of his sisters during...
by PRI | Sep 16, 2017 | Arrest and Detention, Case Studies, Latest News
Egypt’s Regime Has Held An American Student For Four Years. He May Soon Know His Fate. While the violent authoritarianism of Egypt’s president has complicated relations with Western allies, President Trump has developed a close bond with him. By Akbar Shahid Ahmed A 27-year-old U.S. citizen who has spent more than four years in Egyptian custody on dramatic murder and terrorism charges is expected to receive a verdict Monday in his mass trial with almost 500 other people ― a moment his advocates say could be make-or-break. The case underscores how complicated Washington’s relationship with the world’s largest Arab country remains as the U.S.-supported government engages in what rights groups call the worst wave of repression in modern Egyptian history. Egyptian military officers arrested Ahmed Etwiy on Aug. 17, 2013, during a security operation targeting political protesters, according to his family and American attorney Praveen Madhiraju. Authorities held him at a military facility and then a massive prison complex for over three years before a trial began. Etwiy was not even involved in the protests, his defenders maintain. Then a 23-year-old student at the German University in Cairo, he was in the area to escort his grandfather to a bus depot. But the events of that summer in 2013, when the army aligned with street movements to overthrow Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, and the policies of general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi since have embroiled thousands of innocent people, leaving international watchdogs, activists, experts and officials with little hope of progress or accountability. Earlier this month, Italy returned its ambassador to Cairo following more than a year of controversy over the Sisi government’s suspected...
by PRI | Aug 24, 2017 | Arrest and Detention, Case Studies, Latest News
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter urging President Trump to keep the pressure on Egypt for its human rights violations following the administration’s decision to deny Egypt foreign aid and delay military funding. In the letter, Chairman McCain urges President Trump to continue advocating for those Egyptians, Americans, and organizations fighting for democracy and freedom in Egypt. Chairman McCain also released the following statement: “I believe it was the appropriate course of action for the administration to deny Egypt $96 million in aid and delay $195 million in military funding due to concerns over its human rights record. Now, President Trump must continue to advocate for the Egyptian people, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and American citizens who have been unjustly indicted or sentenced to prison without due process. “As Chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI), I am especially concerned about the members of the NGOs indicted by the Government of Egypt for peacefully working on behalf of democratic reform, including IRI, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Freedom House, the International Center for Journalists, and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Foundation. President Trump must also demand the immediate release of the nearly 20 American citizens wrongly imprisoned in Egypt, including Ahmed Etwiy and Mustafa Kassem, who have been detained on false allegations, jailed for four years without sentencing and are scheduled to stand trial Monday. As the United States continues to work with Egypt to fight terrorism, President Trump must make every effort to convince the Egyptian government to uphold its international commitments on human rights and respect the democratic aspirations of its people.” The letter is below. Dear...
by PRI | Jan 12, 2016 | Country Profiles
Committed to brining you detailed and current information about pretrial detention rights around the world, Pretrial Rights International has added seven new country profiles to its database. Check out: Armenia Brazil Colombia Egypt Haiti Malaysia Sri Lanka We couldn’t gather such in-depth information without the help of our supporters. Many thanks to Squire Patton Boggs LLP for its continued support of Pretrial Rights International’s cause. Several law schools are also discussing potential partnerships with us. We’d love to have your school’s support, developing country pages, monitoring law, meeting with local lawyers, assisting in legislative drafting, and representing clients worldwide. Please contact us if you or your school are interested in...
