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From time to time, the World Movement for Democracy issues alerts concerning participants and other colleagues who are, or may be, facing personal danger due to their work on behalf of democracy and for whom a vigorous response from around the world may be critical.

To see previous alerts go to www.wmd.org/democracyalerts/democracyAlerts.html.

Egyptian Activists Arrested and Face Trial
September 19, 2000

On July 1st the Egyptian State Security Police arrested Professor Saad Eddin Ibrahim at his home. The following day they arrested his colleagues from the Cairo-based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies (ICDS). The accusations range from defaming Egypt's reputation abroad to accepting foreign funding without government permission. Although Professor Ibrahim has been released from custody, the charges still stand and the Ibn Khaldun Center remains closed.

Naiem A. Sherbiny has relayed a message from Saad Eddin Ibrahim who gives a detailed description of the current situation. We welcome your comments and any additional information you might have. Please send your comments to .

From Naiem A. Sherbiny
North American Representative
Ibn Khaldun Center for Development

September 19, 2000

Friends:

While Saad Eddin Ibrahim is out of jail, the objective of our cyberspace campaign is far from realized. Saad is out on bail, with no indictment or formal charges. In principle, he could be detained again. Daunting tasks remain ahead. The Ibn Khaldun Center for Development is still closed down, computers confiscated, staff dispersed, and bank accounts frozen. Saad's passport is still withheld and family safe kept by State Security. For the foreseeable future he cannot leave Egypt. For this reason, I am circulating the petition below. Please cut and paste, and send to the office of Egypt's President. The email address to use is webmaster@presidency.gov.eg.

The most daunting of all tasks ahead is to prepare for monitoring the legislative elections in November. Most of us believe that monitoring elections was indeed the reason for the arrest of Saad Eddin Ibrahim in the first place. At this point it is important for those who support Saad Eddin Ibrahim to stay tuned in. I share with you a statement Saad Eddin Ibrahim issued today (see below).

The constituency built during the campaign in support of Professor Ibrahim was an impressive mosaic of thousands of free voices in tens of countries, numerous international human rights organizations, scores of professional associations, and many influential newspapers. To all, please note that the fight is far from over.

Despite major efforts of Saad Eddin Ibrahim and other activists in Egypt, the entire community of Egypt's civil society still occupies a tiny portion of the social canvass. For this reason, the street was generally apathetic to his arrest and travails. From this the State miscalculated the impact of his arrest, and the hired guns of the local press attempted to assassinate his character. Third-rate journalists could not conceal their envy for this first-rate intellectual activist. Neither the State nor local press anticipated the response of the international community to the arrest and detention of Saad Eddin Ibrahim. We should endeavor to keep the pressure on.

One unhappy thing seems to have worked for the State: the high visibility case appears to have intimidated some social activists and human rights advocacy groups - as indicated in the attached statement by Saad Eddin Ibrahim (September 3rd). As you can see, Saad Eddin Ibrahim has had his hands full since his release. Most likely, he will continue to have his hands full. This is the time to rally behind him.

Naiem A. Sherbiny

From Saad Eddin Ibrahim
Cairo, September 3, 2000

Dear friends

Three weeks after my release from prison, I am sending a renewed message of gratitude to the far-flung network of Ibn Khaldun supporters. You most certainly contributed to my release and that of my colleagues through your sustained campaign of letters, petitions and published statements. There is little new to report in the 'legal' case. All detainees are now released and to the best of our knowledge there have been no fresh interrogations in the past three weeks. The Center remains closed, our computers and documents are impounded, and I am still prevented from traveling outside Egypt. These are matters we are pursuing with the State Security prosecutors. Those who wish to do so may join us in calling for a reversal of these punitive measures.

Among the negative fallout from this case, some Egyptian NGOs have felt compelled to return grants from foreign sources. The Center for Legal Studies on Human Rights has closed, and the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights is scaling back its activities. We hope that these are temporary setbacks, and will work to restore confidence and vigor among Egypt's civil society groups.

It is also our hope that those in the international network who lobbied for Ibn Khaldun will not disband. Much remains to be done to assure a more democratic public life in Egypt. This country deserves a dignified, responsible press and a broader arena for open debate on critical national issues. So-called sensitive topics must be addressed and not swept under the rug. Until the Ibn Khaldun Center is reopened, Egyptian civil society remains under threat.

Meanwhile, we are in touch with the staff, and have found them mostly in good shape. With few exceptions, they were interrogated and pressured and intimidated from future collaboration. We know of one attempted suicide, and two staff remain out of Egypt until the case is formally closed. Still, we have reconstituted a core group to immediately document the summer events and help put that information in wide circulation. You will be hearing more from us in the coming weeks.

With my very best regards and thanks from all our family,

Saad Eddin Ibrahim

For more information see the following:

Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies web site, www.ibnkhaldun.org.
"Egyptian democracy campaigner arrested," By Caroline Hawley. BBC News Online, July 1, 2000.
"Egypt's anti-democracy in action," Jim Hoagland. Washington Post, July16, 2000.
"The Law vs. the State." Economist, July 22, 2000.
"Free Saad Eddin Ibrahim," Editorial. Washington Post, July 31 2000.
"Writer joins growing ranks of Egypt's accused," by Susan Sachs. New York Times, August 4, 2000.
"Prominent critic freed by Egypt after protests," by Salah Nasrawi. Washington Post, August 11, 2000.

What you can do:

Copy and paste the petition below into a blank e-mail. Sign the petition and e-mail it to President Hosny Mubarak of Egypt, webmaster@presidency.gov.eg.

H.E. President Hosny Mubarak of Egypt

Your Excellency:

I know how much you care for Egypt and its reputation among civilized nations. During the last few weeks, I read about the detention then release of Dr. Saad E. Ibrahim and his Ibn Khaldun Center colleagues without formal charges. As a long-time friend of Egypt, I write out of concern for that great country. The continued denial of civil liberties of Dr. Ibrahim and associates harms Egypt's good image abroad. I refer to the closure of Ibn Khaldun Center, impounding computers, confiscation of passports and of Dr. Ibrahim's family safe.

I implore you, Mr. President, to use your influence to restore the civil liberties of Dr. Ibrahim and his colleagues.

Signed,