Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

17 November 2011

ANHRI condemns the testimonies deliberated by some media sources, particularly governmental media, on the case of the activist and blogger Alaa Abd El –Fattah, known as the Maspero case. It is the case concerning the killing of 27 Egyptian citizens in violent confrontations in front of Maspero, the Radio and Television Union building, among of which 12 were crushed under APCs.

Most recently on 14 November 2011, Al-Ahram Gate website published a story entitled “ A Witness at Maspero: I saw Alaa Abd El-Fattah and his colleagues stealing a weapon from a soldier of the military police”. The alleged witness was quoted to have said “I saw Alaa Abd El-Fattah with some of his friends, from which I recognized Bahaa Saber and Wael Abbas”

“This testimony is fabricated and trumped-up. The proof is that he claimed to have seen the activist Wael Abbas with the blogger Alaa Abd El-fatah, whereas Abbas did not participate in the Maspero demonstrations because he was on a trip to Tunis that day and his plane arrived in Cairo airport at 7 PM, when he went straight home in the fifth district of New Cairo where he stayed with his family and did not go to the downtown area at all. That confirms the fallacy and perjury of this witness, in a support of those who are targeting activists to abuse them. In addition to this false testimony, there was an attempt to fabricate charges against the activist Mohamed Adel, who was serving at his military unit the same day. These testimonies clearly show the lack of seriousness of the investigations and information that the military prosecution base the whole case on” said ANHRI.

ANHRI stresses the need to try all false witnesses, along with those who stand behind them and support them, no matter who they are. ANHRI also affirms its utter rejection of the ongoing emergency law and all forms of military and exceptional trials for civilians that only aim at intimidating the activists and opinion makers. It is also essential that this case and other cases be referred to an independent judicial authority, appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, away from the military and public prosecution which lack impartiality and the political will to serve justice in Egypt. The souls of 27 Egyptian martyrs are still looking for perpetrators. There is no information until this day about any intentional murder charges or even manslaughter against those who killed or led to the murder of those Egyptian citizens.

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