Political Activist Tortured in July 2009 while Tormentors Enjoyed Impunity. Bassem Abu AlMagd Abducted Among Fears of Being Tortured
From: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Cairo August 12th , 2010


The Arabic Network for Human Rights information said today that SSI in Alexandria have abducted, on 10/8/2010, the political activist Bassem Abu AlMagd , coordinator of the potential presidential nominee Hamdin Sabbahi. Bassem refused an illegal summoning from an SSI officer in Alexandria. He is detained in an unknown location.

This is the second abduction incident for Bassem. He was abducted earlier in July 2009, where he was tortured and ill-treated by SSI officers for a week to discipline him for being a member in AlKarama Naserite party. Then he was dumped on Cairo Alexandria desert road. Despite filing a communiqué to the Public Prosecutor of the torture incident last year, his tormentors are still at large , which raises fears of him being tortured once more due to the widely spread trend of impunity in Egypt.

Gamal Eid , ANHRI executive director said, ” The public prosecution is compelled to deter police officers of such oppressive and illegal practices . The prosecution represents the whole nation not only the government and state officials. If a political activist is abducted for peaceful advocacy of a potential presidency nominee and no investigation takes place, we can be certain that we are facing a police state where law receives no respect and has no rule”.

Many activists and political powers have called for a peaceful demonstration on 14/8/2010, noon time in Manshiya Square , Alexandria in protest to the escalated illegal arrest and harassment crackdowns against political activists , especially in Alexandria.