Within the framework of the program of "freedom for all" aiming at raising lawyers awareness to defend the detainees, Maat Center for Juridical and Constitutional Studies organized the second seminar in Fayoum entitled "the recurrent detention and emergency law". The first seminar was held in Legal Profession Institute in Aex.
Around 150 lawyers have taken part in the seminar. It discussed three papers. The first paper was presented by Mr. Gamal Abdel Aziz, director of the Arab Network of Human Rights Information; the second paper was presented by Mr. Mahmoud Al Hawwary, lawyers' representative in Fayoum. The third paper was presented by Mr. Eid Sayed Abdallah, the reporter of the legislative committee in the Bar Association in Fayoum. Mr. Montaser Al Zayyat, a member of Bar Association's council, was the commentator of the seminar. The seminar was conducted by Mr. Ahmed Darwish, lawyer. The seminar included a discussion on parts from movies embodying torture in the Egyptian cinema such as "Al Baree' – Al Karnak – Ehan Betou Al Aotobees". In addition, the participants heard the statements of some citizens experienced detention.
The participants demands the immediate release for the Egyptian detainees and rule of law and respect of judicial verdicts. They accused the Egyptian system of breaking and breaching all laws even emergency law itself assuring although this law is rejected by the national will and powers, the Egyptian government insists to breach it and strip detainees of the minimum guarantees ensured by this law.
The participants accused the political system of idiocy saying that it is not good in the treatment with the substantial issues and paid attention to the necessity of stopping the recurrent detention. In addition, they demanded the enforcement of release orders issued for the detainees and stopping the false release.
The participants declared their solidarity with and their fair demands of independency. Additionally, they stressed that they do not support specific judges but they support the independency of judiciary in general.
The participants expressed their concern to terrorism law which is under preparation now as an alternate to emergency law stressing that it will be more restraining for general freedoms. They demanded the ministry of interior to enforce the emergency law without breaches stating as long as we could not drive the government to stop emergency law we have to demand the enforcement without breaches.
Motaser Al Zayyat asserted that the Egyptian government could not stop emergency law and said that the National Democratic Party could not live without this exceptional law because it lacks legitimacy and popularity and rule on the basis of the forgery of electors will. He added that this party needs a law granting it authorities to break and harass citizens and give authorities for state security to arrest and detain without inspection.
He added we live with unfair government that does not enforce emergency law. In addition, he added that the government does not give citizens the minimum guarantees rendered by this law. He stressed on the right of the detainee to complain and communicate with his family and avail himself of a lawyer. He compared the government to the infidel group of Korish who was creating statues of dates and when they got hungry they eat them.
Gamal Abdel Aziz referred to the lack of a law similar to the emergency law in Egypt like any other country. He stressed that the law gives the detainee the right to complain however the government annulled the right of the State Council to consider the complaint and refered this right to state security courts, and in this case the state is the defendant and judge at the same time.
He added the biggest number of Egyptian nationals killed beyond law hand were in the nineties. This number is estimated to be more than people killed in the period of the British occupation and late president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Gamal connected between disasters going on now as a result of the continuation of emergency law, large number of detainees and judges problem stating that "if we have independent judiciary then it could stop emergency law. But if the judiciary is independent the government could not be tyrant any more.
Mahmoud Al Hawary added freedoms is declining day by day. The governor of Egypt is not a political system but it is political disorder. He added that there is no a political system does such practices like the Egyptian system. He also described the Egyptian political system as idiot.
He believes that judiciary independence is a matter of national security. In addition, judges who undergoing trial now are honorable stressting that there are corrupt judges still free.
Mr. Eid added that we have brought up in emergency environment that affected on citizens badly and humiliated them. The emergency law should be applied in specific situations with certain conditions but in fact what is applied is the state of emergency without keeping to its provisions, for example it gives the detainee some rights but in fact he does not benefit from them. In addition, he stressed that the emergency failed in its main purpose for which it is applied to keep security and order.
Ayman Okail stressed that it is difficult to keep silent about the issue of the detainees and stressed that violation against detainees is not only restraining freedom but it extends to health and corporal violations and violations against his right to education other than psychological and mental pressures and what all family experiences such as poverty and children delinquency.
In addition, detainees imprisoned without charges or trials are a hazardous bombs that will explode anytime.
Also, he condemned what happened in Cairo that turned to be military sites because of sieges to prevent peaceful demonstrations and supporting judges as more than 400 persons were detained in the course of the trial of the consultants Mekky and Al Bastawisy that concluded with the release of the former and reproach to the latter.