Statement about 6 April

The Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression Hisham Mubarak Law Center Press Release 1 Random crackdowns against Kafr-el-Sheikh youths Security harassment against HMLC and AFTF lawyers The magistrate order putting Omnia and Sarah for 15 days in custody The preventive custody appeal is to be heard tomorrow Holding stickers "long live for w:st="on"Egypt" 6 April youths went on a sit-in yesterday night in front of the Attorney-General office HMLC calls for a coordinating meeting for how to confront the would-be April 6 police violations style="font-family: Arial;"Cairo, April 5, 2009: On April 1 the police personnel in Kafr-el-Sheikh have arrested Omnia Taha, an engineering faculty student, and Sarah Muhammad Ibrahim, a "on"Labor University student. They were allegedly accused of distributing stickers posted "Long Live for "on"Egypt" and "April 6 is the Day of Anger". The prosecutor heard their statements on April 2, the next day of capturing them, and charged both with a list of counts: threatening the stable constitutional and social rules, disturbing social peace, instigating civil servants to not accomplish their duties. The prosecutor decided to continue remanding them in custody to be interrogated once again on April 3 along with the results of investigations. The police investigations have shown them as firebrand inciters who instigate for hating the regime and toppling it. Although Sarah and Omnia have denied all these counts along with the pleas of Ismael Abu el-Yazeed, one of HMLC network lawyers, that unveiled the contradictions of facts and investigations, the prosecutor remanded them in custody for 4 days. Confronting this decision, 30 of 6 April youths in Kafr-el-Sheikh staged a sit-in in front of the Attorney-General office, while others headed to Kafr-el-Sheikh police station. To stop their sit-in, the security director negotiated with the protesters who refused to leave their place until releasing Omnia and Sarah. Today and among a heavy presence of security personnel, the two girls have stood before the magistrate who decided to put them in custody for 15 days. In protest against this harsh decision, 6 April youths went on a demonstration in front of the court. In response, police forces captured about 30 to 40 people, among them, Muhammad Awad, Nour al-Deen Hamdi, Ahmed Abu Gheiti, Muhammad al Seba'ei, Medhat Shaker, Amr Amin, Doea Muhammad, Sara Ahmad, Shams al Fakhakhri, Al Mo'tasem Muhammad, Ahmad, Nesma al Tahawi, and Gihan Muhammad. For the rest of names, HMLC lawyers are trying to collect the entire list of them. On the other hand, some police personnel have practiced harassment against the lawyers of HMLC and AFTF. The lawyers of both centers submitted a communiqué to the Attorney-General including the cases of random arrests and harassment against lawyers. On the same track, the lawyers appealed for the jailing order which expected to be heard tomorrow. For confronting the expected harsh violations, crackdowns, indiscriminate arrest and the anticipated blow to the right to demonstrate, HMLC calls on all human rights and political activists to take part in a meeting to be held at HMLC's office on Sunday April 6 at 6 pm.