{الفكر القومي العربي} Fwd: Fw: Media Release for Wed 1pm Aug 22: to INTERPOL on attacks on democracy and human rights in Egypt

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Mohamed Ismail <madymh@hotmail.com>
To: Maissa Abdelatif <maissa03@hotmail.com>
Date: August 21, 2018 at 8:49 PM
Subject: Fw: Media Release for Wed 1pm Aug 22: to INTERPOL on attacks on democracy and human rights in Egypt

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From: Sara Flounders <flounders.sara16@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 8:57 PM
Subject: Media Release for Wed 1pm Aug 22: to INTERPOL on attacks on democracy and human rights in Egypt

 

Message to INTERPOL regarding attacks on democracy and human rights in Egypt

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The following message will be delivered to the UN Liaison Office of Interpol – the International Criminal Police Organization - at One UN Plaza - (329 East 44th St, between 1st and 2nd Ave,) on Wednesday, August 22 at 1pm.

 

Media Contact:

Mohamed Ahmed Ismail, Co-Coordinator, Egyptians Abroad For Democracy Worldwide, at madyh@hotmail.com  (706) 218-1638

 

For media in NYC: Sara Flounders, Co-Director International Action Center, 201-388-7428

 

This letter is signed by international defenders of democracy and human rights. It is directed to the attention of Interpol Special Representative Michael Olmsted,

 

We, Egyptians Abroad For Democracy and our partnership coalition of human rights organizations, request an immediate international investigation into the crumbling of civil society and the democratic rights of “freedom of speech” and “freedom of the press” under Egypt’s military regime led by General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

 

We urge Interpol, the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union to immediately investigate these human rights violations against the Egyptian people and to reference the numerous reports about the worsening human rights situation in Egypt, which have been documented by the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International.

 

Since General el-Sisi stole away the first-ever democratically-elected presidency, Egyptian civilians who protest his violent overthrow have fallen victim to unprecedented human rights violations—over 35,000 men, women, and children have been kidnapped, disappeared, imprisoned, tortured, or even executed since the military coup took place on July 3, 2013. Following the sham Egyptian Presidential Elections in March 2018, in which all of General el-Sisi’s contenders were kidnapped and/or imprisoned, freedom in Egypt has only become more endangered than ever before and even a growing number of Egyptians living abroad and who continue to speak out against General el-Sisi’s military regime have recently been implicated in false “charges” which have led to their arrest, detainment, and/or deportment on an international level, some even being returned back to Egypt to prison and to ultimately face death sentences. One such recent case is that of former Egyptian minister and professor Dr. Muhammad Mahsoub who was arrested in Italy just a few weeks ago and who was released after it was discovered that Egyptian authorities had assisted in fabricating the false “charges” against him. Another recent victim is el-Sharq Television Talk Show Host Hesham Abdallah who was recently arrested in Turkey based on false “charges” the Egyptian authorities had him listed with Interpol. As we know from recent history, the Egyptian judicial system works under the authority of the Egyptian military regime. A growing number of incidents have taken place since the military coup in which Egyptian authorities have worked with Interpol and other government agencies to have Egyptian civilians—peaceful protestors and dissenters of the Egyptian military regime and General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi—arrested and implicated in false “charges” to thwart their advocacy for a free and democratic Egypt.

 

It is when we fail to take notice of and act on violations against people’s basic human rights and democratic freedoms such as “free speech” and “freedom of the press,” that we begin to witness the encroachment of these universal rights and freedoms quietly spread to other places around the world. As the leading nations and government agencies of the free world, it is our privilege and our responsibility to investigate and to take immediate action to stand for human rights for the people of Egypt, and all people around the world.

 

For further information please contact Mohamed Ahmed Ismail, Co-Coordinator, Egyptians Abroad For Democracy Worldwide, at madyh@hotmail.com or (706) 218-1638. Akram Boktor, Homeland for All, Akramboktor123@yahoo.com, 1(646)2445842,

Maissa Abdellatif, Collectif des Femmes pour les Droits de L’homme, maissa03@hotmail.com, +33682045092

Ramsey Clark | Former US Attorney General 

 

Dr. Samia Harris | Founder, Democracy for Egypt

 

Muhammed Shoubir | Director, Ghorba

 

M. Cahit Oktay | President, TAMJA

 

Moustafa El Desoky | Coordinator, Ghorba

 

Maissa Abdel Latif | Director, Women’s Coalition for Human Rights

 

Sara Flounders | Co-Director, International Action Center

 

Medea Benjamin | Co-Founder, CODEPINK

 

Missy Crutchfield | Co-Founder, Gandhi’s Be Magazine & Gandhi Global Center for Peace

 

Melissa Turner | Co-Founder, Gandhi’s Be Magazine

 

Mohamed Ahmed Ismail | Co-Coordinator, Egyptians Abroad for Democracy World

 

Note : This letter will be hand delivered to INTERPOL on Wednesday, August 22 at 1:00 pm