Egypt: Female activists continue to be held
Source:
The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights The campaign of solidarity with the three female activists - Asma'a Ali, Rasha Azab, Nada El-Kasas - declares its shock and disappointment regarding the decision on 20/05/06 by state security to renew their detainment for another 15 days.
The decision also renewed the detainment of a large number of other activists who were also arrested while demonstrating in solidarity with the Egyptian judges facing persecution from the state for their demands for an independent judiciary.
Since many of the detainees are currently students, they will now be wasting their entire school year because they will be prevented from sitting for exams.
The activists were detained because they were exercising their constitutional rights of demonstrating peacefully, expressing their opinions and holding a peaceful gathering. The Egyptian constitution guarantees these rights and their imprisonment violates this guarantee. Since there is no legal reason to keep them in custody, this must be considered punishment for their support for political reform in Egypt.
Wasting an entire school year by keeping these students detained is the Egyptian government's gift to the Egyptian people, the activists, and their parents who are struggling so hard to educate their children and see them graduate from university, for political participation.
The partner organizations below therefore demand that the activists be immediately released and allowed to attend their final exams.
Another 15 days in the clutches of state security will sentence them to losing an entire school year by preventing them from sitting for their exams.
Is this the reward for political participation in Egypt?
Partner Organizations:
New Women Research Center
Forum of Associations for Women's Development
Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement
Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance Foundation
O'my Association for the Rights and Development
Egyptian Association for Supporting the Democratic Progress
The Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession
The activists were detained because they were exercising their constitutional rights of demonstrating peacefully, expressing their opinions and holding a peaceful gathering. The Egyptian constitution guarantees these rights and their imprisonment violates this guarantee. Since there is no legal reason to keep them in custody, this must be considered punishment for their support for political reform in Egypt.
Wasting an entire school year by keeping these students detained is the Egyptian government's gift to the Egyptian people, the activists, and their parents who are struggling so hard to educate their children and see them graduate from university, for political participation.
The partner organizations below therefore demand that the activists be immediately released and allowed to attend their final exams.
Another 15 days in the clutches of state security will sentence them to losing an entire school year by preventing them from sitting for their exams.
Is this the reward for political participation in Egypt?
Partner Organizations:
New Women Research Center
Forum of Associations for Women's Development
Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement
Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance Foundation
O'my Association for the Rights and Development
Egyptian Association for Supporting the Democratic Progress
The Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession
