EGYPT'S PROSECUTOR GENERAL ORDERS RELEASE IN

UNCLAS CAIRO 000053 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE NSC STAFF FOR PASCUAL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV EG SUBJECT: EGYPT'S PROSECUTOR GENERAL ORDERS RELEASE IN RELIGIOUS IDENTITY CASE REF: A. CAIRO 3334 ¶B. CAIRO 3398 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) According to her lawyer, Egypt's Office of the Prosecutor General ordered the release on January 13 of Shadia Nagui Ibrahim, who was convicted of fraud on November 21, 2007, in connection with her father's brief conversion in the early 1960s from Christianity to Islam (ref A). Ibrahim, raised as a Coptic Christian and claiming to be unaware of her father's temporary conversion to Islam, stated on her marriage certificate in the early 1980's that she was Christian, leading to the recent conviction. She immediately began serving a three-year prison sentence and filed an appeal. ¶2. (SBU) Following Ibrahim's conviction, we made inquiries about the case to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior and the Public Prosecutor's Office. The Ambassador also raised this case with Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit (ref B). ¶3. (SBU) Ibrahim's lawyer, Ramses Al Najaar, told us on January 13 that he expects his client will be released from prison on January 14. According to the El Najaar, this is not a final verdict and her appeal is pending, although he is optimistic about the outcome. He said he believes the Public Prosecutor intervened to correct an injustice. He also said that the Public Prosecutor ordered an investigation of the judge who handled Ibrahim's trial and sentencing. Ricciardone