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International Movement of Parliamentarians for Democracy

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-Alerts - Egyptian MP Detained

On January 29, 2005, Mr. Ayman Nour, leader of al-Ghad (Tomorrow Party) and member of the Egyptian Parliament, was detained for allegedly forging documents to obtain a license for his political party. He submitted for the recognition of his party last year. State security investigators allege he forged the majority of the documents he was required to present to a governmental committee. As a result, Mr. Nour was stripped of his parliamentary immunity and detained by police on leaving the parliament building. He appeared in court twice and said that his arrest would hinder the democratic process and reform in the country.

Mr. Nour vehemently denies the allegations, insisting the Political Parties Committee had the original signatures. Five Egyptian rights groups have protested against the lifting of Mr. Nour's parliamentary immunity, characterizing the move as a message from the Egyptian government to other political parties.

Additionally, there are claims Mr. Nour was mistreated during his initial detention. The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights said he was interrogated for eight hours without a break, in violation of international agreements on human rights and the international agreement against torture signed by Egypt.

The International Movement of Parliamentarians for Democracy (IMPD) strongly condemns the stripping of parliamentary immunity and detainment of Ayman Nour. We urge the government of Egypt to respect the right of the opposition parties to function freely. We urge members of the IMPD to write to Egyptian authorities and the Egyptian media to push the government to respect the political freedom of Mr. Nour and other members of opposition parties.

Founded in February 2003, the IMPD is an international coalition of parliamentarians dedicated to the defense and promotion of democracy around the world. Affiliated with the World Movement for Democracy, it includes 227 members in 33 countries.