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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Posted by <I><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic">Ms Margriet Blaauw,
Head of Programme Unit, <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><O:P></O:P><A href=""><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal">mb@irct.org</SPAN></A>, direct tel. + 45 20 34 69
13<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></I><FONT color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT face=Verdana color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Dear Colleagues, <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN class=h21><B><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext">On
Wednesday 30th April Drs Magda Adly and Mona Hamed of I<?xml:namespace prefix =
st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PersonName
w:st="on">RCT</st1:PersonName> member organisation El Nadim Center for
Psychological Management and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence were
assaulted inside the court house of the town of <st1:City w:st="on">Kafr El
Dawwar</st1:City> in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
Egypt</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT face=Verdana
color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The assault took place
immediately before the two doctors were to attend a court case concerning
several members of a local family who had allegedly been subjected to torture by
local police.<O:P></O:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT face=Verdana
color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Upon entering the courthouse
Dr. Adly was attacked by a man who appeared to attempt to steal her handbag. The
attack resulted in Dr Adly sustaining a cut wound as well as possible
dislocation of a shoulder. Moreover, she experienced a short period of
unconsciousness. While hospitalised, she was interrogated for two hours,
starting at 1 AM on the morning of 1 May. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT face=Verdana
color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Dr. Mona Hamed's car was
destroyed in the course of the events under circumstances that are yet unclear.
According to a statement released by El Nadim Center 30 April, following
the assault the attacker confessed that he had acted upon orders of chief
intelligence officer Ahmed Maklad of the Kafr El Dawwar
police.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><B><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><O:P>Background<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">On the morning of
the attack El Nadim Center had released a statement calling for an investigation
into the alleged torture of family members of Sobhi Mohamed Sobhi Hussein by
local police in Kafr El Dawwar. <O:P></O:P> </O:P>According to El Nadim
Center representatives, upon an appeal from the family a team comprising medical
experts from the center went to Kafr el Dawwar to medically examine Mr Hussein
and several family members.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P><O:P></O:P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">The
I<ST1:PERSONNAME u1:st="on"><st1:PersonName
w:st="on">RCT</st1:PersonName></ST1:PERSONNAME>, which represents 139 treatment
<ST1:PERSONNAME u1:st="on"><st1:PersonName
w:st="on">centres</st1:PersonName></ST1:PERSONNAME> for torture victims in 71
countries, condemns the attack on Drs Adly and Hamed in the strongest possible
terms and urges the Egyptian authorities to: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 35.7pt; TEXT-INDENT: -17.85pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT
face=Symbol color=black size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: black">urgently and effectively investigate the attack on Drs Adly
and Hamed and do everything in their power to safeguard their lives and
integrity; and<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=disc>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; COLOR: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT
face=Verdana color=black size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">urgently and effectively investigate the alleged case
of torture against members of the Sobhi Hussein family and do everything in
their power to safeguard their lives and
integrity.<O:P></O:P><O:P></O:P><O:P></O:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </LI></UL>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Underlining that
the government of Egypt is responsible for protecting all of its citizens, not
least those who work to promote respect for human rights and the rule of law,
the I<ST1:PERSONNAME u1:st="on"><st1:PersonName
w:st="on">RCT</st1:PersonName></ST1:PERSONNAME> emphasises that no delay can be
afforded in taking vigorous action to investigate the case and ensure that
justice is done.<O:P></O:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Appeals have been
sent directly to the Egyptian ministries of Interior, Justice and Health.
Moreover, several foreign embassies in <ST1:CITY u1:st="on"><ST1:PLACE
u1:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:City></ST1:CITY></ST1:PLACE> as well as the
delegation of the European Commission have been contacted and requested to take
action to protect and support all colleagues at El Nadim centre in the current
situation and in their ongoing work in support of torture
survivors.<O:P></O:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><I><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic">For more information,
please contact:<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></I><FONT color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><I><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic">Ms Margriet Blaauw,
Head of Programme Unit, <O:P></O:P><A href=""><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal">mb@irct.org</SPAN></A>, direct tel. + 45 20 34 69
13<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></I><FONT color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><I><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic">or
<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></I><FONT color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><I><FONT face=Verdana color=black
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-STYLE: italic">Mr <ST1:PERSONNAME
u1:st="on"><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Sune
Segal</st1:PersonName></ST1:PERSONNAME>, Head of Communications, <O:P></O:P><A
href=""><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: normal">sse@irct.org</SPAN></A>, direct tel. +
45 20 34 69 14<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></I><FONT color=black><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>