Press Release: CCD Voices Concern for Egyptian Democracy Activist
June 21, 2007 | Printer Friendly

The Council for a Community of Democracies has expressed its concern about recent developments in Egypt regarding Dr. Saad Eddine Ibrahim, one of Egypt’s strongest voices for democracy.  Dr. Ibrahim has come under increased scrutiny from the Egyptian government, most recently for his attendance of the June 4 Democracy and Security Conference in Prague.  He briefly met with President Bush at the conference, leading the Egyptian press to accuse him of being an agent for the United States and Israel.  The following statement was adopted by participants at the recent Middle East regional roundtable in Amman, Jordan, at which CCD was present:

Press release
June 21, 2007

The participants in the workshop on “Strategies for Civil Society” organized by Al-Kawakibi Center for Democratic Transitions in Amman (17-19 June, 2007), in cooperation with the Arab Institute for Human Rights, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights, No Peace without Justice, and the Council for a Community of Democracies, applaud and celebrate the awarding of the Zaytouna Silver Award for Excellence in Democratic Action to Dr. Saad Eddine Ibrahim, and express their concern toward the recent escalation in the recent public campaign against Dr. Ibrahim in the Egyptian official media.  We denounce this campaign which harms the image of Egypt more than it harms the image of a well-known defender of human rights and democracy in Egypt and throughout the Arab world.

We also reject the efforts of some members of the ruling party who have submitted a request to the general prosecutor in Egypt demanding that Dr. Ibrahim be tried for false charges, for which he was tried before and jailed between 2000 and 2003, before he was acquitted by the High Court of Cessation from all charges.  We strongly believe that this will harm Egypt and the Egyptian authorities in case this sad tragedy is repeated again, a tragedy which had already damaged Egypt’s reputation and done serious harm to Dr. Ibrahim’s health.  Dr. Ibrahim expresses his opinions peacefully inside and outside Egypt, and the Egyptian authorities should debate or engage him with similarly peaceful means. 

We hope that President Hosni Mubarak will resolve this matter in its early stages and will do his best to make Egypt, a country we love and are proud of, a model for political reforms, democracy, and freedom of expression.