Press releases

On the occasion of the 40th Great El-Fateh Revolution Anniversary ACIJLP appeals to the Libyan President to Personally Intervene to Release the Egyptian Prisoners

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Great El Fateh Revolution (September 1st, 1969) and seizing the opportunity that Libya issues pardons for many prisoners in this occasion, ACIJLP hopes that this year will witness a pardon from H.E. President of Libya to the largest number possible of Egyptian prisoners in the Libyan prisons who are sentenced to life imprisonment.

In the same context, ACIJLP calls upon the Libyan President to personally intervene to release a number of Egyptians who have been sentenced to death in criminal offenses.

It’s worth mentioning that the said Egyptian have concluded the reconciliation measures with the families of the murdered Libyans in accordance with the applicable Libyan procedures under support form Libyan civil society institutions that have closelt cooperated with ACIJLP in such sincere efforts, namely: Gaddafi international charity and development foundation – Waatasemu Charity Association.

Despite the fact that the said Egyptians reached reconciliation with the families of the murdered in accordance with Libyan Law on Reconciliation And Blood Money No. 6 of 1423 H, yet they are still in prison for more than three years now, namely: (Samy Fathy Abd Rabuh – Abdel Halim El Sayed Abdel Halim – Farahat Abdo Faarhat – Adel Abdel Azim Omar – Muhammed Omar Ibrahim)

ACIJLP appeals to the Libyan President to issue pardon to the Egyptian sentenced to death, including: Adel Kamal Abdel Mawla – Mahmoud Nagat Abdel Maougod Muhammed – Tariq Muhammed Abdo – Ahmed Ramadan Muhammed – Ahmed Mahrous Ahemd – Ala Muhammed Salim – Ihab Wagdy Mashraqi – Samir Mokhtar Abdullah – Naguib Abdel Ghany Hussein – Hussein Mahmoud Hassan – Shaher Nagdi El Shafie’ – Muhammed El Rahman El Shafie’ – Farouq Abdel Rahman Muhammed – Hamada Shahin Muhammed – Adel Ramadan Ahmed – Sultan Muhammed Abu Talib – Aly Muhammed Abu Talib – Hamed Eid Abdel Alim – Abdel Azim El Sayed – Hammad Abdullah Masou’d – Mustafa Ibrahim El Snousy – Adel Ragab Muhammed.

ACIJLP indicates that the majority of those Egyptian have gotten initial approvals to conduct reconciliation efforts and therefore their death sentences are suspended as they have paid the blood money and waiting the conclusion of the judicial measures.

Extending its deep congratulation to the Libya, President and People, ACIJLP would like to praise the directions of H.E. the Libyan President to abolish the death penalty and place other alternative penalties.

The Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession expresses its resentment of the acceleration in rates of executions against Egyptian persons, who are sentenced to death in Libya. On Sunday, August 9th 2009, execution was implemented against the Egyptian citizen Ahmed Hijazi Zidane, while during the last week two Egyptians were executed, who are Htip Haitham Ismail and Abdel-Kawi-Shahat.

The center has many concerns about the rest of the Egyptians detained in the Libyan prisons waiting for the implementation of the execution sentence they are 27 Egyptians. In particular the role played by the concerned Egyptian authorities, especially the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, is not commensurate with the danger that threatens the lives of the Egyptians sentenced to death in Libya .

ACIJLP appeals the Libyan government to release the Egyptians who have completed their procedures for reconciliation and payment of blood money, and have not been released, although the provisions of the Libyan law of reconciliation and blood money No. 6 of 1423 require the release of those convicts who are:

  1. Sami Fathi Abed Rabbo.
  2. Hussein Elsayed Darwish.
  3. Farhat Abdo Farhat.
  4. Mohammed Omar Ibrahim El Gazoy.
  5. Adel Abdel-Azim El Gazoy.
  6. Ehab Wagdi Mesherqi

ACIJLP calls upon H.E. the President Muammar Gaddafi’s to interfere directly to release those convicted persons’ especially as this release is consistent with H.E directions on the abolition of the death penalty, which is consistent with the text of Article 6-4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that ” Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all cases.”

The Center calls upon the Libyan civil society institutions in particular (WaEatasemo Charity Association and the Libyan Human Rights Society of the Gaddafi Development Foundation) to seek the Libyan authorities and concerned bodies for the release of the Egyptians who have completed their procedures for the reconciliation and compromise.

ACIJLP Welcomes the Libyan Decision to Suspend Death Sentences

ACIJLP welcomes the Libyan decision issued in August 4th, 2009 on suspending the execution sentences against 30 sentenced people of different nationalities in criminal cases including two Egyptians, namely: Higazy Ahmed Zidan and Ehab Maged Mohamed Hamed.

It’s worth mentioning that ACIJLP sent yesterday a prompt call to H.E. President of Libya to personally involve to suspend the death sentences duly to be executed in August 4th, 2009. The same call has been also sent to the General Prosecutor of Libya.

ACIJLP sees that such decisions goes in consistency with the genuine efforts exerted by H.E. President of Libya regarding abolishing the death penalty and use some other alternatives through his wise directions and the approval of the Libyan Judiciary Council in this regard, the matter that would put Libya among the advanced countries which prohibits such penalty being one of the cruel penalties.

ACIJLP would like to seize this opportunity and praise the effective role played by civil society institutions in Libya regarding the suspension of death sentences and use of other alternatives, the matter that would positively affect the sentenced Egyptians, in addition to the genuine efforts exerted in the reconciliation and negotiation course by (Gaddafi international charity and development foundation – Waatasemu Charity Association).

Execution of an Egyptian sentenced to death in Libya

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, expresses its strong dissatisfaction that the Libyan authorities executed the Egyptian citizens Fadl Ismail Htitah on Tuesday, 7-28-2009, pursuant to the issuance of a death sentence against him by the Libyan judiciary

It should be noted that the citizen in question was executed after the Benghazi prison authorities isolated him and citizen Haitham El-Shahat Abd elqawi on 7-27-2009 in preparation for the implementation of the death penalty against them.

What aggravates the  center’s resentment, is that the execution of the citizen in question, despite he had a concession from the blood guardians of the victim and he paid the blood money, according to the Libyan law of conciliation and blood money, but the Libyan Attorney General has refused to invoke the conciliation document, on the basis that it had not been documented by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The center has many concerns is that the Egyptians convicted of death penalty haven’t been released yet, although they have reconciliation and compromise from the blood guardians  in accordance to the Libyan law of conciliation and blood money. Furthermore, the continued detention in the Libyan prisons for more than three years after their reconciliation and compromise and in spite of the continued Libyan authorities to release convicted in similar situations, like for example the release of a Sudanese and a Libyan on 17/2/2009. in addition another convicted had been released also on Monday, Feb 23, 2009, although he does not have a compromise.

Worth mentioning, that the Egyptians that were sentenced to death in Libya are 25 persons distributed in the Libyan prisons in Tripoli and Benghazi.  Six convicted persons obtained compromise from the relatives of the victims as they accepted the blood money,  they deserve immediate release by the force of law, namely: (Sami Fathi Abdel – Raboh – Hussein El sayed Darwish – Abdel-Halim El sayed  Abdel-Halim – Farhat Abdo Farhat – Adel Abdel-Azim Omar – Mohamed Omar Ibrahim)

While the sentences against 5 convicted persons  were suspended pending judicial appeals to the provisions of their right to the Libyan Supreme Court, while negotiations are currently done on 13 convicted persons, by an Egyptian-Libyan committee composed from Libyan civil society institutions and the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession call upon the Libyan authorities to release the convicts who have completed their conciliation and compromise process immediately, and appealed to the Libyan authorities, to pardon the rest of the convicted persons to implement the directions of His Excellency the Libyan leader on the death penalty.

The center also appeals to His Excellency the President of Egypt, to intervene directly to the Libyan authorities on the release of the Egyptians, who had been sentenced to death, and then got on reconciliation and compromise by the guardians of blood, and who entitled in accordance with the provisions of Libyan law on retribution and blood money to be released immediately.

ACIJLP Calls upon H.E. Mu’ammaA al-Gaddafi to Suspend the Death Sentence against Two Egyptians in Libya

ACIJLP calls upon H.E. Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi, President of Republic of Libya to exert personal expedite intervention to the relevant Libyan Authorities to suspend the death sentence against Fadl Ismael Hatita and Haitham El Shahat Abdel Qawy, currently detained in Beni Ghazi Prison and isolated on July 27th, 2009 in preparation for their execution.

It’s worth mentioning that Fadl Ismael Hatita – according to a statement by Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – has obtained a concession against blood money of L.E. 20.000 and such statement was sent to the Prosecutor General of Libya who refused to take into account.

Moreover, the negotiation and  reconciliation measures are conducted under the sponsorship of several Lybian institutions, such as (Gaddafi international charity and development foundation – Waatasemu Charity Association. – ACIJLP) and under the wise instructions of H.E. President Gaddafi on abolishing death penalty.

ACIJLP hopes that the death sentence will be postponed until the end of negotiation and reconciliation measures and until the sentenced to death benefit from the efforts of the aforesaid civil society institutions exerted in this regard.

Finally, ACIJLP calls upon H.E. the President to activate the provision No. 6/4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all cases).

On the International Day of international criminal justice,hosting  of President Omar al-Bashir by Egypt does not don’t drop the charges by the International Criminal Court as a war criminal and will not help him to escape from punishment

The international day of criminal justice this year witnesses the eleventh anniversary of the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. In this day the Statute of the International Criminal Court was approved on July 17th 1998 as an international and independent judicial mechanism jurisdiction to prosecute and hold those involved to commit the most hideous crimes against humanity, like crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity in addition to war crimes and the crime of aggression.

In spite that 11 years was passed after the adoption of the Statute of the Court – the number of ratifications raised to 108 ratifications –  the number of Arab countries’ ratifications did not exceed three ratifications, which are: Jordan, on April 11th  2002 ,Djibouti on November 5th  2002 and the Comoros on  August 18th 2006.  The number of Arab countries’ signatories on the Convention is 13 countries, which are: Egypt, on December 26th 2000, Algeria on December 28th 2000, Morocco on September 8th 2000, Sudan on September 8th 2000, Syria on November 29th 2000, Kuwait on September 8th 2000, United Arab Emirates on November 27th 2000, Bahrain on December 11th  2000, the Sultanate of Oman on December 20th 2000, Yemen on December 28th 2000,  until now 8 Arab countries still didn’t sign the convention which are: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Mauritania, Tunisia and Libya.

On this occasion, the Center calls upon the Governments of the Arab countries to ratify and to accede to the International Criminal Court, also appealed to Arab civil society organizations to intensify and coordinate their efforts to raise the legal awareness of the court, as an international mechanism to establish the international criminal justice, and to protect human rights, as well as the intensification of the appeals of these organizations of the Arab governments to ratify the Statute of the Court.

The Center calls upon the signatories Arab governments, not to obstruct the Court’s role in the prosecution and accountability of those involved in the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the court, and not to host persons wanted by the court, as happened on the hosting of some Arab governments signatory to the Court of President Omar al-Bashir.

In this context, the Center doesn’t welcome the hosting by the Egyptian government of President Omar al-Bashir, which contrasts with the role of Premier role of Egypt, and its efforts on the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Furthermore, the Center indicates that, although it is true, that the signatories of the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court – which has not yet ratified or acceded – do not take their legal obligations effectively, however, that the signature indicates the intention of these countries to take steps for the expression of consent to be bound by the treaty at a later date as the signing of the Convention creates an obligation for the signatory States in the period between signature and ratification, acceptance or approval, and in good faith to refrain from acts of behavior that would disrupt the subject and purpose of the treaty, in accordance with article 18 of the Vienna convention, which stipulates that “a state or an international organization is obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of a treaty when: (a) that state or that organization has signed the treaty or has exchanged instruments constituting the treaty subject to ratification, act of formal confirmation, acceptance or approval, until that State or that organization shall have made its intention clear not to become a party to the treaty; (a) or that state or that organization has expressed its consent to be bound by the treaty, pending the entry into force of the treaty and provided that such entry into force is not unduly delayed.”

It should be noted that the rule of this article applies to the Arab States signed the Rome Statute establishing the court.

Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary Law Firm