ANHRI: Media student made homeless and deprived of his right to use the student dormitories

ANHRI: Media student made homeless and deprived of his right to use the student dormitories

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information condemns the exclusion of the student Ahmed Abdel Kawi from the lists of students eligible for university housing, despite his meeting all the necessary conditions, because he has voiced his opinions publicly on his blog.


The blogger Ahmed Andel Kawi (http://akeedinegypt.blogspot.com) was born in the governorate of Fayoum and is a third year journalism student in the faculty of mass communication at Cairo University. He obtained a B+ in the first two years of his study at the university and had lived the whole time in university housing since his family home is some 90km outside Cairo.


At the beginning of this academic year, Ahmed applied for student housing in the same way as he had done previously and according to the housing regulations, but his application was not approved. This was the form the punishment for his outspoken blog took. Abdel Kawi should have been staying in the student residences at Cairo University for the last ten days, but he is, in fact, still homeless.


ANHRI”s Legal Aid Unit for Freedom of Expression issued a statement saying:
“The civil activities of the blogger, student Ahmed Abdel Kawi, should not interfere with his right to student accommodation. Every citizen has the right to express his opinions and ideas, as guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution and international conventions.”


The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information stand as strongly against this unlawful measure taken by the University as it does against the blatant intervention in university affairs of the state security apparatus. ANHRI urges the university to maintain the independence of academic institutions and end the complicity with state security regarding the students” legal rights. It also requires that the student should be allowed to return to his residence in the university housing.


Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Legal Aid Unit for Freedom of Expression