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Press Release, 15-9-2003
In a true story of slowly achieved justice, the General Prosecutor decides the transference of 12 police officers to the court in Alexandria to be trailed before the Criminal Court with the charges of Torture and Forging. The case began in February 1996 when “Mohammed Badr El-Deen Gomaa” went to Al-Montazah police station to report about the absence of his child. Several months later he was surprised by police officers attacking his house and leading him to the police station. There began the acts of his tragedy, its scenes were the most horrible scenes, varying from torturing, intimidating, and threatening to rape his wife, illegal detention for him, his wife and his daughter. All that was to force him to confess crimes he had not committed. Alexandria Criminal Court had issued the historical most distinguished verdict on 17/10/1998 declaring Gomaa innocent, and decided to use its authority (as stipulated in article No 11 in the Criminal procedures law) to transfer the case papers to the General Prosecution to investigate with 12 police officers in the crimes they committed. In order not to repeat the same tragedy and to protect the citizens’ dignity and safety, also to have the 12 police officer as an example for their alike not to be followed. Since then, the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid realized that Goma’s case is not an ordinary case of torture inside police station, which are thousands. The case is a typical case of flagrant violation of all the Human Rights. It is a clear call for comprehensive changes in the way the Egyptian Government treats the Egyptian citizen. AHRLA celebrates the General Prosecutor’s decision even if it comes after eight years. AHRLA also appeals to the judicial authority to appoint for a hearing session immediately, and also calls for Mr. Minister of Interior to issue a decision of suspending these officers till their trial ends, they must not resume their work in the police, as we are naturally fear that they might ill-use their authorities to affect the evidences against them, the proof witnesses or Goma’a him self. In this context, AHRLA calls for the support of the public opinion and all the civil society institutions in fighting the common practice of torture inside police stations and the different places of detention. Believing that Torture is an inhuman practice that humanity rejects and is considered a flagrant and unjustified violation of human dignity, AHRLA emphasizes the fact that dispatching Torture won’t be achieved unless there is a strong clear political will works to activate all the tools and ways of monitoring and deterring those who may imagine that it is easy to play with the citizens’ dignity, lives and rights. A list of the names of the 12 police officers transferred to court in the case No 43806/1997 Al-Montazah criminal and registered with No 1312/1997 Total East: 1- Mostafa Mohammed Mohammed Omran 2- Attia Mahmoud Mostafa Rezq 3- Mohammed Al-Saied Abdel Fattah Abdel Latief 4- Mohammed Abbas El-Siaed 5- Alaa El-Saied Ahmed Shawqy 6- Samy Anwar Abdel Ghany 7- Wael Mohi El-Dien El-Saied 8- Yasser Mahmoud Zohny 9- Mohammed Mohammed Fawzy 10- Islam Henedy Abu Sheref 11- Emad Fahmy Basyiony 12- Mohmmed Gohar Mohammed Gohar |