{"id":982,"date":"2006-06-06T14:37:19","date_gmt":"2006-06-06T14:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/?p=982"},"modified":"2006-06-06T14:37:19","modified_gmt":"2006-06-06T14:37:19","slug":"2006-6-6-four-detainees-released-21-others-given-15-more-days-html","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/?p=982","title":{"rendered":"Four detainees released; 21 others given 15 more days"},"content":{"rendered":"
I honestly don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand how this country works anymore. After extending their detention\u00c2\u00a0Sunday<\/a> for 15 more days, the State Security Prosecutor U-turned this afternoon, ordering the release of two leftist women activists, Nada al-Qassass and Rasha 3azab.<\/p>\n

The two women journalists were arrested<\/a> on May 7, together with Asmaa Ali<\/a> of the Revolutionary Socialists, whose release the prosecutor ordered yesterday. The two women are still in Qanater Women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Prison, and are expected to go free tomorrow. (Mabrouk ya banat<\/em>!!)<\/p>\n

The State Security Prosecutor also ordered today the release of Ashraf Ibrahim and Hamdi Abul Ma3ati Qenawi, while extending the detention of 21 other activists\u00e2\u20ac\u201dincluding Kamal Khalil<\/a>, Ibrahim el-Sahari and Wael Khalil, who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been in prison since April 26-27\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor another 15 more days.\"More...\"<\/p>\n

Ashraf Ibrahim<\/a> was one of the hunger-strikers<\/a> who were forcefully moved last week to solitary confinement in Mazra3et Tora prison. The hunger strike lasted for five days, with more than a dozen detainees taking part. Ashraf and four other detainees were transferred by a Special Operations police force, attached to Tora, against their will. The detainees\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 lawyers say the remaining four, after Ashraf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s release, were returned to their original cells in Mahkoum Tora.<\/p>\n

3alaa Seif al-Islam<\/a>, a prominent leftist blogger whose detention was renewed yesterday<\/a> for another 15 days, sent a letter<\/a> from prison today. My friend Alia Mossallam<\/a> kindly translated it into English:<\/p>\n

Ya\u00c2\u00a0Ahmad\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ya\u00c2\u00a0Maher\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong><\/p>\n

We just received fifteen others..<\/strong><\/p>\n

With no release..<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today I received 15 more days, and yet still I kept my composure in the prosecutor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office; more than any other time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For thirty days now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been trying to analyze and theorize, trying to anticipate or predict when my release from detention would be. Every theory we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve produced turned out useless.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When they started releasing people, we thought it would only be days before they let the group out. We were wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We thought they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll let anyone they couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t associated with the Ghad Party, or the Revolutionary Socialists, we were still wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get another period, that is, at least two months in jail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two months of not seeing Manal, save for the stolen hours in the midst of the crowded visits (twice a week if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m lucky) and the at prosecutor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office. Two months away from my work, away from my house, away from my friends and family; two months without internet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On witnessing the misfortunes of others, one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own misfortunes supposedly weaken or pale in comparison. (taken from an Egyptian proverb). <\/em>There are people in prison who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been detained in an ongoing trial for four years, and might eventually be found innocent, but then no one will compensate them for the years they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve lost.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the State Security prosecutor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office we met youth of the Salafi Jihaists <\/em>and Al Ta\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ifa al Mansoura <\/em>(The Victorious Group) that have endured torture I cannot even imagine. But even amongst the Kefaya group my misfortunes should pale, for I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve not been beaten like Sharqawi, nor have I been brought here by mistake, clueless to what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going on around me like Ibrahim. My family are from Cairo and are able to visit me regularly, unlike a lot of colleagues, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll most probably get out of this to find my job waiting for me, unlike a great many of my colleagues as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yet unfortunately, the misfortunes of others are insufficient to relieve the prison experience. Every single day passes slowly and difficultly, every day is heavy, every day brings thoughts of Manal, and every day is prison.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A powerful feeling of injustice with every appearance before prosecution. You Prosecutor, you son of a dog, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re capable of relieving me from my imprisonment and your only excuse is that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re following orders?!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I really wish I could understand the mentality that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s prepared to destroy people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s homes and jeopardize their lives for the sake of orders!<\/strong><\/p>\n

And this prosecutor, is he not a judge like Mekky and Bastawisi and Zakariyya Abdel Aziz and Saber and Noha El Zeiny, and so many others\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every time I start to write with the intention of writing about prison, and my colleagues in prison, I cannot. I blame my tools (Pens are an ancient invention, damn it! Mercy!) I convince myself that I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t write a story unless I tell it to someone first. I blame the need to keep my fellow prisoner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s violations and our negotiations with the prison\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s management a secret. But this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the problem, I just can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t write letters to the people outside or even reply to the letters I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m getting. (Oh yes, please don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop the flow of letters just because I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t reply, they really make a difference).<\/strong><\/p>\n

The detainment involves a lot of incidents that deserve to be recounted<\/strong><\/p>\n