(Cairo, May 5, 2006) - The Egyptian government should immediately release scores of peaceful protesters arrested over the past 10 days solely for exercising their right to free expression and assembly, Human Rights Watch said today. On the night of April 24, the government dispatched thousands of security forces to surround a few dozen protestors peacefully demonstrating in Cairo. Over the course of four days, security forces arrested at least 51 of the protestors, who were demonstrating in support of a group of judges who have called for judicial independence and criticized fraud and intimidation in the parliamentary elections held several months ago.
Since April 27, security forces have also arrested more than 50 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood for protesting the government's extension of emergency rule, according to spokesmen for the organization.
On April 30, the government extended the country's Emergency Law for an additional two years. Law No. 162 (1958), which has been in effect without interruption since President Hosni Mubarak came to power in October 1981, prohibits demonstrations and public rallies and allows the authorities to detain individuals without charge.
"Deploying thousands of police to smother these protests shows all too clearly that President Mubarak has zero tolerance for peaceful dissent," said Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch. "This is a government that intimidates voters to obtain the parliamentary majority it needs to renew an Emergency Law, which it then uses to silence those who protest election fraud." <snip>
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/217b9e6b0fd393e2b9f83a40f5493177.htm
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