http://www.comcast.net/news/international/middleeast/index.jsp?cat=MIDDLEEAS T <http://www.comcast.net/news/international/middleeast/index.jsp?cat=MIDDLEEA ST&fn=/2007/08/22/745658.html> &fn=/2007/08/22/745658.html
Egypt Activist Fears Arrest, Stays in US By PAUL SCHEMM, Associated Press Writer Wed Aug 22, 1:59 PM CAIRO, Egypt - One of Egypt's most outspoken government critics, an Egyptian-American academic, said he has been warned not to return to his native country for fear of arrest "or worse" amid a crackdown on dissidents. In an opinion piece that appeared Tuesday in the Washington Post, Saad Eddin Ibrahim described a regime squeezing all forms of opposition in order to engineer an unpopular father-son succession. "Sadly, this regime has strayed so far from the rule of law that, for my own safety, I have been warned not to return to Egypt," the 68-year-old sociologist wrote. "Regime insiders and those in Cairo's diplomatic circles have said that I will be arrested or worse." One of Egypt's best known democracy advocates, Ibrahim was among the first to publicly criticize the grooming of President Hosni Mubarak's son to succeed him and was jailed for tarnishing Egypt's reputation before the charges were overturned. Mubarak's son, Gamal, has publicly denied any interest in running the country, but his meteoric rise through the ruling party's hierarchy has led many Egyptians to believe his eventual succession is a given. Ibrahim's wife, Barbara, an American citizen, said the threat against her husband has come in the form of lawsuits and complaints filed by private citizens that could enmesh the scholar in court battles for years and even land him back in jail. "We know of at least nine, so obviously that's the kind of regime overkill that they love to do," she told The Associated Press from her home in Cairo on Wednesday. "Almost all of them involve accusations of treason and undermining the economic interests of the country." Private law suits by government supporters have been used against other regime opponents, including former presidential candidate Ayman Nour, who was imprisoned in 2005 and still has dozens of cases pending against him. Ibrahim is in Virginia and, according to his wife, has no immediate plans to return to his position as a sociology professor at the American University in Cairo. "I think these investigations stay open for at least six months during which time the charges can be formally brought, so he will stay outside for at least six months, if not longer," Barbara Ibrahim said. An Egyptian security official said neither the police nor the prosecutor's office had any case against Ibrahim, but that he knew of at least three of lawsuits brought by individuals. The complaints accuse Ibrahim of harming national interests by persuading the U.S. Congress to cut Egypt's aid, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation to withhold $200 million in military aid until Egypt takes steps to curb police abuses and stop arms smuggling into the neighboring Gaza Strip. The Egyptian government at the time denounced the proposed U.S. legislation as an "unacceptable" interference in Egypt's internal affairs. In July, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned the United States it would face the "Egyptian people's wrath" if the meddling continued. Since the move came only a few days after Ibrahim spoke with President Bush at a summit for dissidents from countries around the world, the activist believes the Egyptian government holds him responsible for the proposed bill. "I was solely to blame, according to the regime. Would that I had a fraction of the influence attributed to me by the state-controlled media!" wrote Ibrahim, who in the past has advocated cutting Egypt's $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid to pressure for democratic reforms. Ibrahim was arrested and charged in 2000 for smearing the country's reputation abroad and embezzling foreign funding. He spent years in jail until a three-year odyssey of trials and appeals ultimately resulted in his acquittal. The editorial comes during a period of political crackdown in Egypt with 40 leading members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood facing military trial and dozens of others arrested on an almost weekly basis. The country's security services are also coming under increasing criticism for their heavy-handed tactics during both anti-terrorism and ordinary criminal investigations. A report released earlier this month by the Egyptian Organization of Human Rights said abuse and torture by Egyptians security forces has become increasingly common, citing hundreds of cases over the last decade. In remarks carried Tuesday night by the official Middle East News Agency, Interior Minister Habib el-Adly said his institution has always been vigilant against violations of human rights. "Immediate prosecution is the constant method of the Interior Ministry against any individual violating human rights," he said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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