NEW AYMAN NOUR/GAMEELA ISMAIL INVESTIGATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001251

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL EG
SUBJECT: NEW AYMAN NOUR/GAMEELA ISMAIL INVESTIGATION
THREATENS LATTER'S TRAVEL TO U.S.

REF: CAIRO 1226

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


1. (C) Gameela Ismail (wife of imprisoned Ghad Party leader
Ayman Nour) informed Embassy early February 27 that because
of a new criminal investigation of her and her husband
(reftel),she might not be able to pass through exit control
at Cairo International Airport in order to travel to an
IRI-sponsored leadership conference in Washington March 5.
In the absence of FM Aboul Gheit, (traveling with President
Mubarak to Libya) Ambassador spoke on February 27 to his
deputy, Chef de Cabinet Wafaa Bassim. Ambassador underlined
our concern that it appeared that the GOE apparently was
using the Egyptian legal system to prevent Gameela from
traveling to Washington. The implications for our bilateral
relations were obvious. Ambassador urged Bassim not only to
register our concern with the Foreign Minister, but also to
take whatever steps the MFA could take to impress the public
prosecutor with the impact this new investigation would have
on Egypt's international standing. Bassim promised to look
into the matter immediately and to contact Aboul Gheit upon
his arrival in Libya.


2. (C) We contacted Amir Salem (protect),the lawyer for
Ayman Nour and Gameela Ismail for details on Gameela's
status. According to Salem, the GOE's new investigation of
the couple centers on 19 complaints against Nour and two
against Ismail. Low-level NDP members and members of the
police registered the complaints against Nour, which stem
from various alleged violations during the presidential and
parliamentary campaigns. Salem said that all of the
complaints against the couple were, in his view, "silly."
Salem said he was baffled by the timing of the decision to
launch the new investigations against Nour. He wondered if
it was connected in some way to the Secretary's visit.


3. (C) Regarding the investigation of Gameela Ismail, Salem
said that Gameela has been summoned to appear at the
prosecutor's office on March 5, as part of an investigation
into charges that she assaulted a policeman who was
video-taping a Ghad Party demonstration "several weeks ago"
at the Journalists' Syndicate. Salem opined that Gameela's
recent outspoken criticism of the GOE on BBC and Al-Arabiya
may be behind the GOE's decision to investigate Gameela now.


4. (C) We will report further developments in this case as
soon as we receive them.
RICCIARDONE