Egypt: Egypt NGO defends detained human rights lawyer

March 19, 2018

The Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) has condemned the detention of the organisation’s executive director Ezzat Ghonim and expressed concern for his welfare in a press statement.

The human rights lawyer has been detained since 1 March in an undisclosed location; prior to his disappearance he had been working on the case of the arrest of a mother who accused Egyptian police of torturing her daughter, Zubeida Ibrahim, and being behind her disappearance in a BBC report, which angered Egyptian authorities last month.

Ghonim, who disappeared on his way home from work, appeared in a video published by the Egyptian Interior Ministry appearing weak and tired, prompting ECRF to issue a statement last week appealing for his release.

“We wish the Ministry of the Interior to exercise its work in the face of violence and terrorism without being involved in the distortion of human rights defenders, especially that all the violations monitored by the coordination are documented and have an international resonance,” ECRF said.

Some 21 local and international NGOs have signed a letter calling for Ghonim’s release, stating that the security services will be held responsible for his personal safety.

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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180319-egypt-ngo-defends-detained-human-rights-lawyer/

Tagged: Egypt