Diaa Gad released

From Reuters: “Dia was released (Friday) at dawn… He was ill-treated in the period where we did not know where he was being held,” said Gamal Eid, director of the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Eid said police beat Gad in the car immediately after detaining him and during his detention in State Security offices. Police beat and kicked him, threatened to electrocute him, and electrocuted others in front of him, according to Eid.”

Bloggers tortured during detention

From Global Voices: Two bloggers were separately tortured in Egyptian State Security headquarters. One of them is now released, while the other has been receiving treatment in prison. /—/

Dia’ el Din Gad was arrested on 6 February , he is the runner of a blog called Sout Ghadeb (Angry Voice) where he used to write his views criticizing the Egyptian policy regarding Gaza. He also referred to President Hosni Mubarak as “Ehud Mubarak” – in a reference to Israeli Minister of Defence Ehud Barak.
Amnesty International who considers Gad a prisoner of conscience, mentioned in a recent statement that:

“During interrogation, SSI officers repeatedly threatened to torture and otherwise ill-treat him, and other detainees were apparently brought in front of him and tortured with electric shocks. He was kept constantly blindfolded and heard screams of people who, it appeared, were being tortured.
Dia’ el Din Gad was not beaten but verbally abused and told he would never be released. He was given no access to medical attention, despite a pre-existing condition which affects his breathing and for which he takes painkillers and other medication.”

Human Rights Watch: Hundreds Still Held Over Gaza Protests

A statement from Human Rights Watch: Egyptian authorities should immediately charge or free Diaa Eddin Gad, a blogger held since February 6, 2009, Human Rights Watch said today. Gad is among a number of bloggers and activists arrested in relation to protest in Egypt since the beginning of the Gaza offensive in late December 2008. Apparently it’s not enough for the Egyptian government to imprison its own critics,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “It is now intent on silencing Egyptians who criticize Israel as well…

The Egyptian authorities have had little tolerance for any form of criticism over its stance on Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The government also has been under a great deal of international pressure to control the smuggling trade through the tunnels at Rafah. It has cooperated with Israel’s 20-month-long closure of Gaza by keeping its Rafah crossing closed for most of that time.

With the disproportionate powers granted to them under an emergency law, the SSI have arrested a number of bloggers and activists who have been critical of the war in Gaza and the closing of the Egyptian  border with Gaza, among other things.

The Muslim Brotherhood, technically a banned organization, organized the largest of the street demonstrations, especially those outside of Cairo, in Alexandria and Tanta. Muslim Brotherhood representatives told Human Rights Watch that 711 of their members arrested since the start of the Gaza conflict remain imprisoned.

Public protests are illegal under the Egyptian emergency law. But a blanket ban on demonstrations is incompatible with Egypt’s obligations to respect the right to freedom of expression and assembly under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Read more.

NGO condemns public prosecution, implicates it in detention of blogger

From Daily News Egypt: “Egyptian NGO the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has launched a stinging attack on the public prosecution office for what it describes as its “contribution” to the detention of a blogger who disappeared 19 days ago. In the statement ANHRI says that it is “extremely disappointed” by the public prosecution office’s “tarrying” in holding to account the state security investigations officers alleged to have kidnapped 23-year-old Diaa Eddin Gad.” Read more.

Amnesty: Egyptian blogger held incommunicado is at risk of torture

From Amnesty International: “A student blogger critical of Egypt’s policy towards the Gaza Strip is believed to have been held incommunicado in the custody of State Security Investigations (SSI) services and at risk of torture since his arrest on 6 February. The Egyptian authorities have still not disclosed the whereabouts of 23-year-old Dia’ el Din Gad, despite his family’s and lawyers’ inquiries to the Ministry of the Interior and the office of the Public Prosecutor. The blogger had been denouncing President Mubarak and the Egyptian authorities’ attitude to the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. “Dia’ el Din Gad has simply disappeared since his arrest two weeks ago, causing terrible anxiety to his mother and raising growing fears of torture and enforced disappearance” said Amnesty International.”

Also see the Urgent Appeal for Action.

Diaa Gad: Urgent Appeal for Action

Amnesty International har published an urgent appeal on the behalf of detained blogger Diaa el-Din Gad, saying that “Dia’ el Din Gad’s mother described to Amnesty International how he frequently suffers panic attacks which make it difficult for him to breathe. He also has difficulty walking or bending one of his legs, due to injuries suffered in childhood. He takes painkillers and other medication, which he did not have with him when he was arrested.”

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Arabic or your own language:

– urging the Egyptian authorities to disclose Dia’ el Din Gad’ whereabouts immediately, and give him access to lawyers of his choice, his family and any medical attention he may require.

– urging the authorities to ensure that he is not tortured or otherwise ill-treated;

– urging the authorities to release Dia’ el Din Gadimmediately and unconditionally, unless he is promptly charged with a recognizably criminal offence, as he appears to be a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association.

 

APPEALS TO:

Minster of Interior

Minister Habib Ibrahim El Adly

Ministry of the Interior

25 Al-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt

Fax: +20 22 796 0682

Email: moi@idsc.gov.eg

Salutation: Dear Minister

 

Public Prosecutor

Counsellor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud

Dar al-Qadha al-‘Ali

Ramses Street, Cairo, EGYPT

Fax: +20 22 577 4716

Salutation: Dear Counsellor

 

COPIES TO:

 

Director of Human Rights and International Humanitarian and Social Affairs

Wael Abu al-Magd

Human Rights and International Humanitarian and Social Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Corniche al-Nil

Cairo

EGYPT

Fax: +20 22 574 9713

 

and to diplomatic representatives of Egypt accredited to your country.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 1 April 2009.

Diaa Eddin Gad – detained 6 Februari 2009

From Egypt and Beyond: “23-year old blogger Diaa Eddin Gad was detained by Egyptian state security in front of his family’s house in a village outside Tanta on 6 February 2009. Michael Slackman reports for IHT: “Gad was seated at his computer working on his blog. His mother had just laid out lunch and his older sister was behind him studying for medical school. His phone rang, he walked outside, so as not to disturb his sister, and was jumped by four officers.”

One week later, the authorities still refused to say where he was beeing held, or why he was detained. A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior told the IHT that “related bodies are examining his case,” describing the kidnapping and incommunicado detention as “regular procedure.” (Which is true of course, if you are working for a mafia).

According to the IHT, Gad was arrested after taking part in a peaceful demonstration in Cairo, organized by the liberal Wafd party, and he has also been described as a member of the Kifaya movement. He is the author of a blog called Sawt Ghadib, or “angry voice”, where he has expressed support for the Palestinian struggle and criticism of the Egyptian regime for it’s participation in the siege of Gaza.

According to The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information “bloggers have become a major target of the police authorities in Egypt and all these assaults are committed outside the law or under the cloak of the emergency state. ANHRI demands that all defenders of freedom of expression join hands to bring an end to this abominable state of emergency.”