EGYPT: UPDATE ON ACTIVIST DETENTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003875 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC STAFF FOR SINGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM EG SUBJECT: EGYPT: UPDATE ON ACTIVIST DETENTIONS REF: A. CAIRO 2761 ¶B. CAIRO 3270 Classified by ECPO Counselor John Desrocher for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Bahey Eddin Hassan, Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, confirmed to poloff June 21 press reports that influential blogger Alaa Saif Al-Islam will be released from GOE custody in the next few days. Al-Islam was detained on May 7 (ref A) with a number of other democracy activists from the Kefaya movement during protests in support of judicial independence. Hassan, who is also Al-Islam's father-in-law, notes that the release order has not yet been implemented but that Al-Islam could be freed anytime in the next few days. Hassan added that Al-Islam and other activists detained with him have refused to cooperate with prosecutors by providing statements or answering questions on their activities. ¶2. (SBU) Post understands that approximately 20 other democracy activists, detained at the same time as Al-Islam, may also be released in the coming days. However, post has also learned that the GOE has extended for a further fifteen days the detention (ref B) of Mohammad Al-Sharqawy (who has alleged torture at the hands of the police) and Kamal Al-Shaer, both of whom were arrested at May 25 emonstrations. RICCIARDONE