GOE OPENS A NEW INVESTIGATION AGAINST AYMAN NOUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001226

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EG
SUBJECT: GOE OPENS A NEW INVESTIGATION AGAINST AYMAN NOUR


Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Gameela Ismail, Ayman Nour's wife, and Hisham
Kassem, the Ghad Party vice president, have confirmed wire
service reports that the GOE has launched a new investigation
against the imprisoned opposition leader. The new case stems
from hitherto unreported allegations by an NDP member that
Nour assaulted him on September 7, 2005, the day of Egypt's
presidential election.


2. (C) According to Gameela Ismail and Hisham Kassem
(protect),the GOE is formally investigating charges by a
low-level NDP member that Nour used a placard to beat the NDP
member. Gameela and Nour appeared in court on February 27 in
connection with the investigation. Kassem said that he
recalled that on September 7 a NDP supporter and Ghad
supporters got into a scuffle after the NDP supporter had
jostled Ayman Nour's young son. According to Kassem, Nour
himself was not involved in the altercation. Kassem
described the GOE's decision to open a new investigation
against Nour as further evidence of the implacable hostility
that the GOE leadership has for Nour.


3. (C) Comment: Electoral violence during 2005
(particularly in the case of the parliamentary elections) was
a real problem, but the GOE has yet to publicly investigate
any perpetrators of this violence. In this context, a GOE
investigation of the allegation that Nour was involved in a
minor altercation is all the more striking. End comment.
RICCIARDONE