Action call: protest crackdown on Egyptian civil rights

From the Egyptian groups Institute for Freedom of Thought and Expression, Arab Institute for Civil Society, Legal Aid Society for Human Rights, and The Civil Monitor for Human Rights, on May 21:


On Thursday, May 18 activist Asmaa Mohammed Hassan Soliman (known as Asmaa Soliman), was surprised to learn that she had been dismissed from her job at the National Institute for Laser Enhanced Science at Cairo University. The dean of the institute, Dr. Mohy Saad Mansour, usually refuses to fire anyone, even when the situation clearly demands it When Asmaa tried to learn the reasons behind her dismissal, the director of Human Resources, Amaal Khalil, said that the dean had the right to do what he wanted, without giving his reasons.


Asmaa was hired with a temporary contract in 1997 and continued to work at the institute until her sudden dismissal. A number of her colleagues, who wished to remain anonymous because they feared similar reprisals, said that the dean had called the director of Human Resources to his office and told her that she must announce that the activist Asmaa was fired. This raises the question of whether the decision to fire Asmaa was handed down from the security authority, giving the dean no choice but to follow their policy. Asmaa has worked with a team of volunteers at the Civil Monitor since September 2005. She works as a civilian observer and has written many reports which have covered the scope of police brutality during the parliamentary elections and sectarian clashes in Alexandra, among other issues. Her name has been published a number of times in opposition newspapers, in articles related to human rights violations. Asmaa was not hired as a permanent worker in the last round of appointments even though she had worked there continuously for 9 years, and it is expected that workers receive permanent contracts after 3 years. One of the steps to being hired permanently is to obtain the approval of the security services.


At the base of this is the freedom of opinion and expression, academic freedoms and workers rights. The undersigned organizations entreat all civil society organizations and interested parties to condemn this dismissal and to announce their support for the activist Asmaa Soliman in her campaign against this unjust decision which violates international human rights standards at the heart of which are labor rights. Please send letters, emails or faxes stating your support to the addresses below, and forward a copy to us.


Prime Minister


Address : 2 Maglas El Shaab
Phone : + 202-793-5000
Fax : +202-795-8048


Email :
[email protected]


Dr. Hany Mahfouz Helal


Minister of Higher Education


101 Kasr Al Aini St,


Phone: + 202 7924189


Fax: +202 7941005


Email: [email protected]


Dr. Mohy Saad Mansour


Dean of NILES


Cairo University, Giza , Egypt


Phone : +202 5675201


Fax: + 202 5708480


E-mail: [email protected]


Institute for Freedom of Thought and Expression


Arab Institute for Civil Society


Legal Aid Society for Human Rights


The Civil Monitor for Human Rights


36A, el Komy St. 8th Fl. Midan Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt


Phone: + 20107697540


E-mail: [email protected]


 


Relatid Topics


US Shuts Eyes to Abuses of Key Ally, Egypt
Inter Press Service (subscription) – Rome,Italy
Authorities free 41 students detained during street protests
Mainichi Daily News – Japan
Confrontation brews in Cairo
Houston Chronicle – United States
Bush Democracy Doctrine, RIP
Antiwar.com – Redwood City,CA,USA
’The Age of Protest in Egypt Is Over’
New York Sun – New York,NY,USA
Digging Deeper Blogs, Wiki, Google Bomb Used to Free Egyptian
MediaShift – CA,USA
Why Egypt Remains a Riddle
BusinessWeek – USA
Amnesty blasts US-Mideast secret prison partnership
Political Gateway – Deerfield Beach,FL,USA