Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

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Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by DJKeefy »

Lawyer investigating death of Cambridge student killed in Egypt disappears as he attempts to leave country.

A lawyer who was investigating the abduction and murder of a Cambridge University student in Cairo has himself disappeared - while en route to a conference to discuss state-sanctioned disappearances.

Ibrahim Metwaly was scheduled to fly to Geneva to address a UN meeting about forced disappearances and the case of Giulio Regeni, 28, who was carrying out research on Egypt’s trade unions when he disappeared on January 25, 2016.

Two weeks later his battered, tortured body was found dumped by the side of a main road outside Cairo, amid suspicions that he had been kidnapped and killed by the Egyptian security forces.

Mr Metwaly, who has represented the Regeni family as they push for the truth about what happened to their son, was last heard from when he spoke to his family on the telephone on Sunday morning.

There were reports that he was arrested at Cairo airport before he was able to board his plane.

He is the founder of a group called Stop Enforced Disappearances which aims to determine the fate of Egyptians who are “disappeared” by the security forces.

Mr Metwaly’s own son disappeared four years ago and has not been heard from since.

Italy has long suspected that Egyptian security agencies carried out the murder of Mr Regeni, who was a PhD student at Girton College.

The Italians have accused the Egyptian government of carrying out a sham investigation into the murder, and recalled their ambassador in protest.

But official protestations from Rome have been more muted recently and a new ambassador will be sent to Cairo this month.

Pier Antonio Panzeri, an Italian MEP and chairman of the European Parliament’s committee on human rights, said: "It is unacceptable that a prominent lawyer should vanish at an airport. I urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Metwaly, a lawyer who is dedicating his life to denouncing this growing practice by Egyptian security forces of forced disappearances.”

Mr Regeni’s parents have said that his body was so badly tortured and disfigured that the only feature they recognised was his nose.

Aside from bruises, cuts and burns on his body, he suffered broken bones and shattered teeth.

The Egyptian authorities initially claimed that Mr Regeni had died in a traffic incident or that he had been the victim of a violent kidnapping – theories that have been roundly dismissed as preposterous by Italy.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09 ... pts-leave/


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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by newcastle »

Let's hope Mr Metwaly doesn't suffer a 'traffic accident'. :urm:

"He was spotted last night by one of the ECRF’s lawyers at the office of the Egyptian state security prosecutor. The lawyer said that Mr Metwaly was being interrogated on charges of “communicating with foreign entities to harm state security” and of forming a group opposed to the law and the constitution."

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lawy ... -h3gjr3fs7

LATEST :

He reappeared before prosecutors on Tuesday evening charged with “managing an illegal group, spreading false news … [and] cooperating with foreign organisations”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... lio-regeni
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by Horus »

Here we go again :|
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by Dusak »

Given the topic, its not always better to prove a point by becoming an example. :urm: I suppose he now wishes, if he still can, that he was on his way to discuss the disappearance of anything else but.
Life is your's to do with as you wish- do not let other's try to control it for you. Count Dusak- 1345.
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by Hafiz »

This story has a sad side.

The lawyer son of the man now rounded up 'disappeared' 4 years ago in Egypt. . http://www.egyptindependent.com/lawyer- ... tigations/. He was a prominent human rights lawyer. There has never been any suggestion that this urban liberal family are fundamentalists - indeed they seem the opposite.

There is also context because another (I think) Egyptian lawyer then helping the Regeni family was detained several times last year.

You wonder about the judgement of who is making the decisions about he timing of these things because the broader audience is turning.

The Trump White House has recently raised human rights in its decision to limit the aid program to Egypt. The Europeans will probably do likewise. Even the United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights (a Jordanian citizen, Hashemite prince and descendant of The Prophet) is starting to be aggressive on the issue with Egypt. http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/egypt/1.812100 although al Ahram doesn’t report this but the Egypt Independent does http://www.egyptindependent.com/un-high ... ams-egypt/

You also wonder about the need to round up lawyers because after Morsi and some recent removals the Egyptian judiciary's loyalties are unambiguous.
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by newcastle »

You wonder about the judgement of who is making the decisions about he timing of these things because the broader audience is turning.
In the vernacular.....they don't give a flying f*ck.

It's been shown time and time again that international governments place human rights far below commercial and geo-political considerations when dealing with other nations.

Egypt knows it only has to stonewall, repeat the mantra of denials and the storm will pass.

Individual travelers to Egypt are similarly unconcerned (many are unaware) about the issue...at least to the extent that it affects their decision to visit.
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by Hafiz »

Newcastle - yes and no.

Trump is not a human rights advocate but even he held back 10's of millions on the clear understanding that human rights were the cause.

Of course corporations will ignore this issue but if even Trump and a Jordanian descendant of The Prophet are applying the screws it indicates something. By way of contrast the Bush and Obama administrations applied little pressure to Mubarak/Morsi/Sisi so my argument is that times are now changing. The UN Human Rights Commission has never in the past been such a direct critic of Egypt so the recent comments represent a shift.

The role of the FM and Faiza Abou el-Naga (the President's National Security Advisor) may be relevant. They are both hard line. The 'regard' in which they are held in the west might also be affecting responses such as those from Washington and the UN. Wikileaks is full of unflattering historical references to them and recent western media quoting 'informed sources' has been much worse.
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by newcastle »

Whether or not the US withholds aid , and for how long, the regime won't relax its stranglehold,

I'd put money on it.

The huffing and puffing from the outside world is just that....hot air. It may salve their conscience that they're making a noise but, as for serious action that'll make Egypt change its ways? Nah!
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Re: Lawyer disappears as he attempts to leave country

Post by Major Thom »

What a Sh-- Country Egypt has become, thought this Government was for the people, ends up its against everyone apart from itself. Sound to me like a very incompetent worried Government with no respect for anyone. Too much corruption and pocket lining going on and getting covered up.
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