Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Who is behind the attempt at Ayman Nour's Life?


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Dislocation of the left shoulder.. Severe pain in both arms.. A medical collar to support the neck.. About nine elongated injuries, bruises and hematomas, some of which showing a starting infection.. Bruises and hematomas on the chest.. Bruises in the right wrist and elongated scratches and cut wounds in both legs..

That is the summary of the injuries of Dr. Ayman Nour inflicted on him by police violence as a punishment for his inability to walk up the stairs rapidly enough to satisfy his tormentors: General Emad Shehata and lieutenant Ahmed Abdel Hamid in addition to another general and lieutenant from Giza criminal intelligence, all of whom were "escorting" Dr. Ayman Nour from the Tora Mazra'a prison to the Giza court house to attend a court session regarding a complaint raised against him by Mr. Mahmoud Abaza, chairman of the Wafd party, demanding that Dr. Nour pay him the sum of 92 Egyptian pounds (Less than 20$)!!

Since the court room is located on the third floor, Dr. Nour requested to use the lift, which he was denied. Instead the "escorting" police force started verbally abusing, pushing and beating him to force him up the stairs. Since he was handcuffed and in view of his health condition he could not manage fast enough upon which he was hit in the chest and back and was literally dragged up the remaining two floors.

This barbaric aggression against a prisoner of conscience inside the court house by the men of the ministry of Interior provide evidence that their conduct cannot be classified as an individual transgression, which is the term used by the Egyptian Minister of Interior to describe the widespread torture and degrading and inhuman treatment which citizens are met with in police stations and state security headquarters. It is a crime committed by the police and their seniors, publicly and in plain day light and in one of the houses of justice and over a period of time that permitted the infliction of all those injuries on Dr. Nour and which clearly indicates that the inflictors were not concerned regarding possible accountability or punitive measures. It also indicates a premeditated political will of the respective authorities to kill Dr. Nour in his prison as a punishment for his resilience. Dr. Nour has been subject to a long list of oppressive measures and violations of his human rights starting from the procedures surrounding the lifting of his parliamentary impunity, to the unfair trial he was subjected to, the degrading conditions of his imprisonment resulting in marked deterioration of his health condition and finally this brutal police violence against him in the Giza criminal court house, which is a new attempt to break him physically after failure of attempts to break him morally and psychologically.

The undersigned organizations, as they condemn the humiliation, violence and degrading treatment that Dr. Nour received by the hands of his tormentors in what seemed like an attempt at his life, hold all political and state authorities concerned responsible for the safety and life of Dr. Ayman Nour and demand his immediate release in view of his health condition and an impartial investigation regarding the recent police aggression against him.

The undersigned organizations (in alphabetical order)

Arabic network for human rights information
Arab organization for criminological reform
Association for freedom of thought and expression
Association for human rights legal aid
Association of justice for legal aid and human rights
Cairo institute for human rights
Center for alternative development
Center for human rights and legal research and information
Egyptian association against torture
Egyptian association for the promotion of community participation
Egyptian initiative for personal rights
Hisham Mubarak law center
Human rights association for assistance of prisoners
Institution of children of the land
Land center for human rights
Nadim center for rehabilitation of victims of violence

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