Press releases

ACIJLP in Libya to examine case of Egyptians sentenced to death

26 June, 2008

As part of the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession’s (ACIJLP) following of the case of the Egyptian nationals sentenced to death in Libya, ACIJLP director Nasser Amin has been conducting a large number of visits and meetings in Libya since 22 June 2008 in order to examine ways of stopping the implementation of the death sentences handed down to the Egyptian men in Libya.

Amin has held meetings with Libyan civil society groups, in particular the Human Rights Association of the Gaddafi Development Foundation, with the aim of coordinating efforts on stopping the implementation of the death penalty in certain cases.

During the meetings developments in the situation regarding the non-implementation of the death sentences in some of the cases were discussed. Reconciliation between the condemned men and the Libyan relatives of the victims has been realised in five cases, and the implementation of the death sentences in these cases must be stopped urgently, and the men released. It was agreed that these cases would be presented to the Libyan attorney general so that the measures he regards as appropriate may be taken.

ACIJLP, in coordination with the groups concerned in Libya, studied each case individually and examined legal means of stopping the implementation of the death sentences either through appeals presented to the Libyan Supreme Court or through moving forward in the negotiations and reconciliation process with the Libyan relatives of the victims.

ACIJLP has been monitoring the case of the Egyptians condemned to death since 2006, and has undertaken many meetings, and been in constant communication with, officials concerned from the Libyan and Egyptian Foreign Ministries. It has also urged the Libyan and Egyptian Presidents to intervene, and the carrying out of the death sentences has been delayed several times.

ACIJLP is cooperating with Libyan civil society groups who are expending laudable efforts, in particular the Gaddafi Development Foundation, the Libyan Human Rights Association and the Dr Aisha El-Gaddafi Human Rights Committee.

The Egyptian Coalition calls on the Sudanese government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court on handing over of wanted men

24 April, 2008

The Egyptian Coalition for the International Criminal Court expresses its concern over what the International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing during the performance of its mission, particularly in matters concerning the handing over of Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kosheyb. The two men were involved in extremely serious crimes against humanity in Darfour.

Surrender of the two men to the ICC is the most serious obstacle hindering the Court performing its role. This prompted the ICC to propose the establishment of a body which would oblige States to cooperate with the ICC in the handing over of wanted individuals (particularly in Darfour, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Uganda) during a press conference it held in New York on 21^st November 2007.

The Egyptian Coalition expresses its solidarity with the ICC’s demands, and urges the international community to cooperate with the Court in order to establish justice and the culture of escaping punishment.

The Egyptian Coalition also urges Member States of the ICC to sign the Protocol to the Rome Statute which establishes a permanent mechanism allowing the ICC to oblige States to hand over wanted individuals to international justice.

The Egyptian Coalition calls on the Sudanese government – given that Sudan is a sovereign country – to abide by international law and implement resolution 1593 issued by the Security Council in 2005 and cooperate with the ICC by arresting the wanted men and bringing them before the ICC. The Coalition believes that Ahmed Haroun’s remaining in his post and controlling civilians in camps reduces the chances of peace in Darfour. The Sudanese government must take advantage of the procedural guarantees of justice in articles 65, 66, 67, 75 and 76 of the ICC’s 1998 Rome founding Statute.

Current members of the Egyptian Coalition

Founded in 1999, the Egyptian Coalition currently has 26 members.

No.	Name	Year joined
1	The Land Center for Human Rights	1999
2	The Association for Democratic Development	1999
3	The Human Rights Center for Information and Legal Information	1999
4	The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies	1999
5	The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners	1999
6	The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights	1999
7	The Institute for Development and Human Rights Dialogue	2005
8	The Arab Organization for Penal Reform	2005
9	The Association for Human Rights Legal Aid	2005
10	The Center for the Study of Alternative Development	2005
11	The Hisham Mobarak Law Center	2005
12	The Shomo Association for the Protection of Human Rights and the Development of Local Society	2005
13	The Egyptian Association for the Support of Democratic Development	2005
14	The Egyptian Association for the Development of the Family	2005
15	The Egyptian Association for the Spread of Development and Legal Awareness	2005
16	The Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies	2005
17	The Egyptian Institute for Training and Human Rights	2005
18	The Center for Egyptian Women’s Issues	2005
19	The National Association for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms	2005
20	The Vocational Association for Development	2008
21	The One World Institute for Development	2008
22	The Center for Rural Studies	2008
23	The Arab Women’s Alliance	2008
24	The Institute for National Belonging and Human Rights	2008
25	The Egyptian Transparency Association	2008
26	The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession	Founder and coordinator

International and Egyptian jurists in a conference discussing “The Rule of Law and the Independence of Judiciary in Sudan”

19 March, 2008

The Arab Center for the Independence of Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP), in cooperation with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), is organizing a conference on “The Rule of Law and the Independence of Judiciary in Sudan”, scheduled to take place 19^th – 20^th March 2008, at Pyramiza Hotel (El Bavion Hall), Dokki.

Justice Michèle Rivet Québec Human Rights Tribunal and Mr. Param Kumara swami former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers will participate as speakers in the conference. Furthermore, many Sudanese figures from the Ministry of Justice and the Sudanese judicial authority and Sudanese lawyers, in addition to many legal, diplomatic and media actors will participate in this conference.

The conference addresses many topics relevant to the rule of law and independence of the judiciary in Sudan, international standards of independence and impartiality of the judiciary, the role of prosecutors in support of the rule of law, the guarantees of a fair trial, the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights during the state of emergency and military and special courts.

The activities of the conference’s opining session will start at 09.00 a.m. on Sunday, 19^th March.

The aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in Darfour calls for immediate intervention by the international community

13 February, 2008

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) is extremely concerned by the exposure of civilians in Darfour to the worst humanitarian crisis Sudan has ever experienced, and without effective action by the international community.

Through eyewitnesses ACIJLP has documented armed militia attacks on civilians in Abu Sorouj, Abu Salea and Sarba in the West Darfour province using horses, camels and ?? under air cover provided by the Sudanese air force on Friday 8^th and Saturday 9^th February 2008. These attacks caused the death of nearly 209 civilians and resulted in the burning and looting of civilian property. The headquarters of Concern and the ICR organisation were burnt and hundreds of civilians fled to el-Jeneina (the capital city of the West Darfour province). Four thousand people have crossed the border into Chad.

Eyewitnesses said yesterday, 12^th February 2008 that there are a large number of disguised cars, which they believe are military vehicles, moving towards el-Jeneina. ACIJLP fears that these movements are preparations for further attacks ? civilians.

These attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law in general and of international humanitarian law in particular, especially the four Geneva conventions which oblige the parties to armed conflict not to target civilians.

ACIJLP believes that the continuation of the siege of Abu Sorooj and the prevention of investigation teams from entering the area increases the seriousness of the suffering of civilians who require humanitarian aid.

ACIJLP condemns the targeting of Sudanese civilians and calls on all parties to the conflict in Darfour to abide by international humanitarian law which prohibits the targeting of civilians and ceasefire immediately.

ACIJLP also calls on the Security Council to assume its responsibility to preserve world peace and order and compel the parties to the conflict to put an end to repeated violations against civilians in the troubled Darfour region. It also calls on the United Nations and the African Union to speed up the spread of its international forces in the Darfour region in order to protect civilians, and to conduct an immediate international inquiry into the latest violations in the Abu Sorooj, Zabo Salea and Sarba regions.

ACIJLP also calls on the Chad to renounce its decision not to accept Sudanese refugees fleeing repeated attacks in their villages, and to abide by its international obligations, in particular under the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1951.

Names of some of those who died in the attacks

Abkar Yehya Adam, Aldoma Abdallah Yehya, Abdallah Ibrahim, Mohamed Beshir Jaboury, Abdallah Ibrahim, Kharif Yehya, Kheyran Yehya el-Doqo, Ali Jammaa Abyad, Zereqa Yehya el-Sheikh, Ismail Abkar Moussa, Abdel Rahman Abdallah Moussa, Ahmed Mohamed el-Nour, Adam Daktoor Idriss, Bekheit Abdel Nabi Idriss, Adam Ishaq Mohamed, Yehya Ali Azo, Abdallah Nasr Omar, Adam Ishaq Ali, Ibrahim Lameddin, Omar Tojary Qord, Abdel Rassoul Daynaq, Ismail Moussa, Adam Abdallah Matar, Zeriqa Daoud, Mohamed Abdel Hamid Bahr, Fadl Ibrahim, Jendeela Abdallah.

Libyan authorities carry out death sentence handed down against Egyptian national ACIJLP fears that this execution may herald the execution of other Egyptians

22 January, 2008

The Libyan authorities today, 22^nd January 2008, carried out a death sentence handed down against Egyptian national Imad Abdel Wahed in the Hadida prison, Tripoli.

In 1999 Imad was accused of aiding Libyan Fathy el-Faytory in the murder of another Libyan national, Mohamed Ramadan el-Bahleel. The two men were convicted on 2^nd July 1999.

Since that time, and in cooperation with Libyan civil society organisations and the Egyptian and Libyan authorities – and in particular the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) has tried to persuade the victim’s family to engage in negotiations and reconciliation in order to stop the implementation of the death sentence and reduce the punishment to life imprisonment, in accordance with Libyan legislation.

The implementation of the sentence had been postponed more than once. The victim’s relatives were not persuaded to reconcile with Imad, while at the same time showing signs that they would be prepared to reconcile with his Libyan accomplice.

Twenty-six Egyptians are currently awaiting the implementation of death sentences in Libyan prisons.

ACIJLP fears that the implementation of this sentence against Imad marks the beginning of the carrying out of death sentences against other Egyptian nationals.

ACIJLP calls on the Egyptian government and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intensify their efforts to reach a solution in order to save the lives of the imprisoned Egyptians – particularly in light of the Libyan President’s announcement that the death penalty will be abolished.

ACIJLP urges international human rights organisations and international organisations which work for the abolition of the death penalty to lobby the authorities concerned in order that they take the necessary steps to stop the implementation of the death sentences against the imprisoned Egyptians. This will mark a step towards the abolition of a punishment which is clearly at odds with international instruments protecting the right to life – a right which cannot be derogated from in any circumstances.

ACIJLP equally urges Arab governments and parliaments to re-examine the inclusion of the death penalty as a punishment in Arab penal codes.

ACIJLP is extremely saddened by the implementation of the death sentence against Imad Abdel Wahed, and hopes that this will be the last execution of an Egyptian prisoner in Libya.

ACIJLP appeals President Gaddafi to pardon Imad Abdul Wahid who will be executed tomorrow in Libya

21 January, 2008

The Arab Centre for Independence of Judiciary and Legal Profession urges Mr. President Muammar Gaddafi, President of Libya, to take a prompt action in order to pardon the Egyptian citizen and to stop the implementation of the death penalty against him; Emad Abdel-Wahid is imprisoned in the Libyan prisons and he sentenced to death.

The sentence is scheduled to be executed on Emad Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ali tomorrow, Tuesday, January 22^nd, 2008, at 10 am.

Worth mentioning that Imad Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ali was arrested on charges of involvement in the murder of Libyan citizen Mohammed Ramadan Albahlil with the participation of the Libyan citizen Fathi Alvittori in 1999, and he was sentenced to death, and the execution postponed twice before.

The Centre is afraid that the execution of death sentence will be applied on Imad Abdul Wahid while his Libyan partner will be pardoned, especially as this violates Article II of the mentioned Act, in which partners in the same crime benefit of the waiver if the conciliation has been done with one of the partners.

The Center addresses Mr. President Muammar Gaddafi to intervene directly in order to stop the implementation of this sentence, and it demands the Libyan leader to activate article 6 / 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which states that “Any person sentenced to death has the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence. Pardon, general amnesty or commutation of the death penalty could be granted in all cases.”