(U) PRESSING EGYPT ON TORTURE CASE

S E C R E T CAIRO 003270

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KDEM EG US
SUBJECT: (U) PRESSING EGYPT ON TORTURE CASE

REF: CAIRO 3161

Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Egyptian human rights circles are outraged
by reports of the alleged torture by police of Mohammad
Al-Sharqawy and Kamal Al-Shaer, activists with "Youth for
Change," an offshoot of the Kefaya movement. According to
press and blog accounts, police detained Sharqawy and Shaer
after the conclusion of the May 25 demonstrations in support
of judicial independence, and then battered and sexually
assaulted Sharqawy at the Qasr Al-Nil police station, in the
Garden City district of Cairo. Shaer was reportedly beaten
but not sexually assaulted. Sharqawy and Shaer remain in
detention at Tora prison, in a cohort of more than 400
activists--most of whom belong to the Muslim Brotherhood--who
have been detained in the past month in connection with a
series of demonstrations in support of judicial independence.
The Ambassador has expressed USG concern over the case to
President Mubarak and the Prime Minister's staff. The DCM
has demarched the MFA and we have urged senior security
officials to investigate. End summary.


2. (C) According to multiple wire service and blogs (e.g.,
www.arabist.net and www.manalaa.net),police initially
detained Sharqawy in late April after he participated in the
initial round of protests in support of judicial
independence. After a month of detention at Tora prison,
Sharqawy was released on May 23--with a warning not to
participate in any future demonstrations. He then
participated in the May 25 demonstrations, carrying a sign
reading "I want my rights." On the evening of May 25, after
the demonstration appeared to have passed peacefully,
Sharqawy and another Youth for Change activist, Kamal
Al-Shaer, were detained by the security forces.


3. (C) Journalists, including AP and BBC reporters,
witnessed the arrests. Gamal Eid, a human rights lawyer and
activist, met with Sharqawy on Friday, May 26 and soon spread
the word that Sharqawy and Shaer said they had been beaten
badly. Sharqawy also managed to smuggle out a letter
describing intense beatings by police at Qasr El-Nil police
station, and charged that the police had sodomized him
(translation of the letter is at www.arabist.net).


4. (C) Sharqawy's letter, plus the statements of his
lawyer, Gamal Eid, are the primary sources for the current
charges. In addition, wire service reports have also noted
that several other visitors to Tora prison (who were visiting
detainees other than Sharqawy) have reported that he appeared
to have been abused. Eid and other activists have sought
access to Sharqawy by an independent doctor, but thus far the
authorities at Tora prison have only permitted access by an
in-house forensic doctor. Sharqawy and Shaer face an initial
15 day detention, after which the authorities may choose to
begin a formal investigation, release them, or simply renew
their detentions for another 15 days. We have also spoken
with the local representative for Human Rights Watch and
understand that HRW will likely issue a statement on the case
shortly.


5. (S) The Ambassador raised USG concern about torture and
police brutality with President Mubarak on May 30, after
having raised the Sharqawy case in detail with presidential
advisor Soliman Awad and PM's Chief of Staff Zaghloul on May

28. The president did not respond to the allegations (see
septel, notal). Both senior aides challenged the veracity of
the abuse reports. Another senior Embassy officer separately
urged senior State Security officials to investigate the
allegations and, if confirmed, prosecute the perpetrators.
The DCM also told MFA Assistant Minister Salama Shaker to
take USG concerns seriously and look into the matter. The
Ambassador also will raise this case in his call on MinInt
Adly on May 31.
RICCIARDONE