The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
PRESS RELEASE

1December 1998

Today, 1 December 1998, the Higher State Security Prosecution ordered the
imprisonment of Hafez Abu Se'da, the Secretary General of the Egyptian
Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) for 15 days pending investigations in
relation to case no. 695/1998-state security investigations.  In his
capacity as the EOHR secretary general, Hafez Abu Se'da is facing the
following charges:

Accepting funds from a foreign country with the aim of fulfilling acts that
would harm Egypt

Disseminating false information abroad, that would harm the country's
national interests

Receiving donations without obtaining permission from the competent
authorities

It must be noted that the Higher State Security Prosecution had summoned
Hafez Abu Se'da as a witness based on a report made by journalist Mostafa
Bakri, editor-in-chief of Al-Osbou' newspaper, and on inquiries made by the
State Security Investigations.  The said journalist accused the EOHR of
receiving funds from a foreign country in return for making a report on the
incidents of Al-Kosheh, an accusation which was denied by the EOHR Board of
Trustees in its extraordinary meeting on 26 November 1998.  Nevertheless,
before the Higher State Security Prosecution, the EOHR Secretary General
and the lawyers attending with him were surprised with the above mentioned
charges.

Mr. Abdel-Aziz Mohamed, the EOHR Chairman and Head of the Cairo Branch of
the Bar Association, convened for an urgent Board of trustees meeting to be
held tomorrow 2 December 1998 to determine the EOHR stance of these
developments.

This document is published online by Derechos Human Rights. Derechos works against violations to human rights and humanitarian law all over the world.