Contents
1. Summary
2. Background
1. Summary
IHRC gives warm-hearted congratulations for the imminent release of Khairat Al-Shater, Deputy Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hassan Malek, businessman and member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The decision was taken by the Egyptian authorities today in the afternoon and they will be released from Tora prison in which they spent four years.
A few days ago he suffered a heart attack after engaging in a heated debate with prison guards who refused to allow him and his colleagues their exercise session on the grounds that the former corrupt ministers were then out of their cells for fresh air.
Egypt still has thousands of political detainees imprisoned under the Emergency law. IHRC urges the Egyptian government to release all political detainees.
2. Background
Al-Shater was served an unjust 7 year prison sentence after he was transferred to a military tribunal by the ousted Mubarak despite receiving numerous civilian court acquittals. The deputy chairman has had health setbacks since his detention.
Al-Shater has spent a total number of 12 years in Egyptian prisons. He was excluded from the presidential pardon along with other MB leaders despite completing half their sentence (which in Egyptian law would make them eligible for Presidential pardon).
He was imprisoned along with many other influential MB leaders and student members on 14 December 2006 in relation to an incident which took place on 10 December 2006. On that day many student members of MB carried out a demonstration to protest against government involvement in student elections. MB was accused of forming a secret militia and of equipping student members with combat training and weapons.
The family of El-Shater expressed their deep concern, and have stated that they hold the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) responsible for El-Shater’s condition.
The families of the political detainees including Al-Shater, Malek and Dr. Osama Soliman organized a protest today in front of the Ministry of Defence and submitted a statement to SCAF which confirmed that they will receive a response within 48 hours.
IHRC calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to the use of Emergency law which does not allow appeals to a higher court.
For further background information including prior IHRC alerts on the case of Khairat Al-Shater, please visit the following links:
Alert: Prisoners of Faith Campaign Pack: Khairat Al-Shater – Muslim Brotherhood
Press Release: Khairat Al-Shater Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison
Update Alert: Egypt – Khairat al-Shater completes half of his sentence
Khairat Al-Shater, 10 years in prison, is it not time to set him free?
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“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”
Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
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