Urgent appeal for immediate intervention ACIJLP holds the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for the execution of 24 Egyptians in Libya

The crisis involving 24 Egyptian nationals sentenced to death in Libya in September 2006 is still ongoing, and continues to receive insufficient attention from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: twelve Egyptians sentenced to death will be executed over the course of the coming week in the absence of effective intervention by the Ministry. The twelve men are:

NameGovernorate
Shaher Nagdy Abdel RahimSharqeyya
Mohamed Abdel Rahim al Shafei Abdel RahimSharqeyya
Samy Fathy Abd RabuSharqeyya
Hegazy Ahmed ZeydanDaqheleyya
Farouq Abdel Rahman Mohamed AlamCairo
Emmad Abdel Wahed Mohamed AliCairo
Hamed Eid Abdel AleemBeni Suef
Ihab Maged Mohamed HamedIsmaileyya
Ahmed Mahrous Ahmed el BandaryGharbeyya
Hassan Mohamed Hassan WaguihCairo
Moussa Abdallah Ibrahim el TounyMenya
Samir Mokhtar Abdel RahmanCairo

Seven of those sentenced to death were convicted of committing crimes against other Egyptian nationals in Libya. The Egyptian government agreed to their being sent to Egypt, but the Egyptian embassy in Libya did not offer any form of cooperation in order to conclude this procedure – despite the fact that Libyan civil society groups demonstrated a clear willingness to solve this crisis by paying compensation on behalf of the men to the relatives of the victims. Implementation of the death sentences was stopped, in accordance with Libyan law. They were also prepared that the men be sent to Egypt, and sent letters to the Egyptian embassy in Libya in order that the Libyan and Egyptian governments liaise on the matter. The embassy provided gave no response, and embassy officials have still not carried out an official visit to those sentenced to death.

Relatives of the convicted men say that a meeting was held between the Egyptians sentenced to death and the director of the Libyan General Directorate of the Judicial Police who seemed prepared to deport the convicted men. He sent a letter to this effect to the Egyptian embassy in Libya, which resolutely pursued its policy of giving no response.

Those sentenced to death sent a letter to the Egyptian ambassador urging him to intervene and appoint a liaison person to represent the Egyptian embassy in Libya responsible for carrying out deportation procedures in coordination with Libyan officials. However, according to the complainants, the Egyptian government did not respond to this letter.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP)  urges Libyan civil society organisations to pursue their lobbying and expend all efforts in order to halt the implementation of the death sentences.

ACIJLP holds the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for intervening with the Libyan government in order to stop the implementation of these death sentences. It must intervene immediately in order to bring about a reconciliation between relatives of the victims and the convicted men and act swiftly and without delay in order to stop the implementation of the death sentences. Their action is particularly warranted in view of Libyan civil society support for this case.

ACIJLP urges His Excellency the Libyan President and His Excellency the Egyptian President to personally intervene in order to stop the implementation of these sentences until reconciliation attempts – which require time – have been carried out.

Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary Law Firm