FREEDOM FOR THE OPPRESSED … FREEDOM FOR THE SHURA COUNCIL DETAINEES

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

Yesterday [11June] the judiciary of the counter-revolution issued sentences of 15 years in jail, a 100,000 LE fine and five years under police supervision against 25 political activists in what has become known as the “Shura Council case”. The judgement was passed without hearing a single witness or seeing any evidence.

This ruling shows clearly how the judiciary is working, and its blind subservience to the executive. The case began with the court opening its session in the Ministry of the Interior’s Police Academy complex, then saw judgements issued in absentia against three of the defendants who were attempting to attend the hearing – Alaa Abdel Fattah, Wael al-Samari and Hamada al-Nubi – despite the fact that they were present outside the court building. It ended with the sentences handed down by the judge, Mustafa al-Fiqhi, known for his lack of integrity during the 2005 parliamentary elections, and who was investigated by the counter-revolutionary authorities for no reason last year.

It is no great surprise that those who issued this judgement have based their ruling on a law which the British colonial occupiers put in place back in 1914, for all the regime’s claims to be resisting the whole world. Both imagine that their security relies on the disappearance of their opponents into jail.

These sentences are a clear message to those who were hoping that this regime still possesses even a small degree of intelligence: it will leave isolated any who oppose it. It is likewise a clear message to those betting on the intervention of the so-called international community, which was supposed to rise up against human rights violations in Egypt.

The regime imagines that jailing its opponents will increase their isolation from the masses and will dissuade them from continuing the struggle against it. But the clearest lesson of recent years is that the time when the regime could rule the people on its terms, and not on theirs, is gone and will not return.

There is no other way to win the demands of bread, freedom and social justice, except through direct confrontation with this regime and victory over it. The head of the counter-revolution is used to declaring that he ascended to the presidency through the blood of the martyrs. We affirm that the blood of martyrs and the suffering of the detainees, and the pain of the injured will be a curse following him whereever he goes, until he reaches jail himself.

Freedom for the oppressed … freedom for the detainees

The Revolutionary Socialists Movement

12 June 2014

* http://global.revsoc.me/2014/06/freedom-for-the-oppressed-freedom-for-the-shura-council-detainees/

POLICE, THUGS VIOLENTLY DISPERSE #NOPROTESTLAW MARCH

21 June 2014 was the global day of solidarity with over 41,000 Egyptian detainees held between the July 3^rd coup until May 2014, many of which have been convicted under an anti-protest law passed in November 2013. Prominent revolutionary activists sentenced to terms as high as 15 years in prison for protesting, include activists like Alaa Abdel Fattah, Mahienour El-Masry, Ahmed Doma, Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Maher, and thousands more.

Activist communities around the world and in Cairo organized solidarity rallies and marches against the protest law calling for the release of the detained. In Cairo, unfortunately, the peaceful march in Heliopolis towards the presidential palace was viciously attacked by plain-clothed thugs together with riot police, where tear gas was fired and many arrested and beaten. 28 activists where arrested and transferred to Masr El Gedida and El Nozha police stations including prominent human rights activist and sister of Alaa Abdel Fattah and Mona Seif, Sanaa Seif.

The list of names of those detained for interrogation by prosecutors early this morning for “breaking the protest law” are Ibrahim Mohamed, Abu Samra, Mohamed Miza, Islam Tawfeek, Omar Ahmed, Ahmed Oraby, Islam Oraby, Abdulla Hassan, Moaataz Belallah, Karam Zakaria, Mohamed El-Beily, Mostafa Ibrahim, Omar Ibrahim, Hanan Mostafa, Salwa Mehrez, Samar Ibrahim, Sanaa Seif, Rania El-Sheikh, Yara Salam, Nahed Bebo, Fekria Mohamed, Bassam Mohamed, Yasser El-Kot, Mohamed Masood, Mohamed Alaraby, Mohamed Diab, Ahmed Finky, and Hossam El-Nagar.

Despite the demoralization of the failed march to the presidential palace, many of the revolutionaries are not losing hope and fighting for those detained even if that means that they themselves face arrest. In the first march post Sisi officially becoming the new installed dictator, the message is clear, “no protest is allowed,” however; this didn’t stop the several hundreds who took to the streets yesterday knowing the great risk that comes with protesting post coup.

Groups like the Revolutionary Front Thuwar, 6 of April, Revolutionary Socialists, independents, and most importantly families of those detained showed a courageous fight that they will not stop fighting for the revolution to continue, the protest law to end, and the detained to be released no matter what risk they may have to take.

* http://global.revsoc.me/2014/06/police-thugs-violently-disperse-noprotestlaw-march-in-cairo/

SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS TAKE TO THE STREETS AGAINST EGYPT’S PROTEST LAW

Solidarity activists in eight cities worldwide took to the streets to challenge repression by Egypt’s military regime as part of a day of action against the protest law. Demonstrations targeted the Egyptian embassies in Buenos Aires and Athens on Thursday and Friday.

On 21 June in London, a solidarity contingent joined the 15,000 strong anti-austerity demonstration called by the People’s Assembly. Carrying banners for “bread, freedom and social justice” and placards detailing the cases of political detainees they distributed leaflets to the marchers.

In Berlin, dozens gathered at the Egyptian Embassy, while activists in Paris organised a half-day seminar with the participation of NGOs and human rights campaigners. Meanwhile activists in New York rallied outside the Egyptian mission to the UN.

In Ireland, campaigners took to the streets of Dublin and Derry with leaflets and posters to highlight the attack on the right to protest in Egypt, and the case of detainees like Mahienour el-Masry and Alaa Abdel Fattah, recently jailed under the anti-protest legislation.

A march in Cairo timed to coincide with the day of action was brutally broken up by police and thugs with numerous arrests, including Alaa Abdel Fattah’s younger sister, Sanaa Seif.

* http://global.revsoc.me/2014/06/solidarity-activists-take-to-the-streets-against-egypts-protest-law/