ABUBAKARs Odt

APRIL 16, 2014
The Honourable John Baird

Minister of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
April 15, 2014
Dear Minister Baird,
We are writing this Open Letter to you in advance of your trip to Egypt later this week. In the face of a
deeply troubling human rights crisis in Egypt, your visit offers a crucial opportunity to convey a clear
message that Canada looks to the Egyptian government to take immediate and meaningful steps to
address the continuing deterioration in the countrys human rights situation. Amnesty International
members across Canada are calling on you to make it clear that Canada expects the Egyptian
government to commit to a program of action to protect the human rights of all Egyptians.
In addition to raising these very serious overarching concerns about the state of human rights
protection in Egypt, we are calling on you to press for action with respect to three particular situations:
the immediate and unconditional release of Canadian citizen and prisoner of conscience
Mohamed Fahmy;
the release from detention of detained Canadian permanent resident Khaled al-Qazzaz who has
been held without charge or trial for nine months, unless he is promptly charged with
recognizably criminal offences and tried before civilian courts in a fair trial; and
the overturning of mass death sentences imposed on 528 individuals on March 24th of this year.
Egypts Human Rights Record
Last month Amnesty International joined with 14 other international human rights organizations in
making an urgent plea to the UN Human Rights Council to respond to what we described as the
serious and rapid deterioration of the human rights situation in Egypt. The joint statement noted that
repression in the country had reached levels unprecedented since the 2011 uprising and highlighted the
range of very serious violations and abuses that occur on a daily basis.
A severe and comprehensive crackdown against persons who have dared to publicly criticize
the military-backed government, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, supporters of
deposed president Mohamed Morsi, as well as pro-democracy and human rights movement
activists within the country.
Repeated resort by security forces to use of force, including lethal force, leading to the death of
hundreds of protesters and serious injuries of hundreds more.
Widespread, severe restrictions on freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom
of expression, as well as academic freedoms.
Unlawful and arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of protest leaders, university students,
journalists and human rights defenders.
Womens rights have been particularly affected as a consequence of the current political
polarization and high levels of sexual and gender-based violence has been reported.
Coptic Christian communities have faced high levels of sectarian attacks.
A failure of justice and accountability means that impunity for grave human rights violations
continues to be deeply entrenched in the country.
Minister, Amnesty International takes no position with respect to the political and societal divisions at
the heart of the turmoil and violence in Egypt over the past year. We have highlighted however that the
clear failure to safeguard human rights only deepens insecurity and instability in the country.
High level international calls on the Egyptian government to end violations and commit to an agenda of
meaningful human rights reform have mounted in recent months.
In January, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed grave concern
about the state of human rights in the country. She called on all sides to renounce the use of
violence and noted that security forces have a duty to respect the right to peaceful protest.
In March, a cross-regional group of 27 countries, including such close Canadian allies as the
United States, the United Kingdom and France, made a joint statement at the UN Human Rights
Council, expressing very serious concern about the human rights situation in Egypt and
pressing for action to end impunity, uphold the right to peaceful protest and ensure the safety of
human rights defenders.
And on March 31st a group of eight UN human rights experts issued an urgent statement calling
on the Egyptian government immediately to quash the 529 death sentences handed down a
week earlier.
Minister, it is time for Canada unequivocally to add its voice to this growing international chorus
demanding an end to Egypts downward human rights spiral. Your visit offers an invaluable opportunity
to convey that important message. Canadians expect that to be at the top of your agenda.
Mohamed Fahmy
Minister, as you are aware Canadian citizen Mohamed Fahmy, the English-language bureau chief in
Egypt for the Al-Jazeera television network, was arrested with two colleagues, Peter Greste and Baher
Mohamed, on 29 December 2013. They are facing trial on charges that they allegedly provided
assistance to a banned group engaged in terrorist activities. Amnesty International has described their
arrest and trial as being vindictive persecution. We have noted that it arises in a wider and very
serious crackdown against media who are not seen as supportive of the current government.
Amnesty International has determined that Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed are
prisoners of conscience, arrested simply for doing their job as journalists. We have called for their
unconditional and immediate release. Their cases have been taken up by many global leaders,
including US President Barrack Obama, Australias Prime Minister Tony Abbot and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Julie Bishop, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. We urge you to add
your voice to theirs and to press for Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed to be freed
immediately and without condition.
Khaled al-Qazzaz
Canadian permanent resident Khaled al-Qazzaz was working as an aide to former Egyptian President
Mohamed Morsi when he was arrested and disappeared on 3 July 2013. For two months his wife,
Canadian citizen Sarah Attia, knew nothing of his fate or whereabouts. He is now held in the countrys
notorious Tora Prison. More than nine months since his arrest he has not been charged or tried. His
lawyers have been prevented from visiting him in detention. Family visits have been restricted. There
are serious concerns about the conditions of his imprisonment.
Khaled al-Qazzazs detention is in clear violation of international human rights standards that require
detainees to be charged and tried promptly. We urge you to raise his case during your visit and make it
clear that Canada expects him to be released if he is not charged immediately with a recognizably
criminal offence by the ordinary (not military) Prosecution and brought to trial before civilian courts in
proceedings that meet international fair trial standards without recourse to the death penalty.
528 Death Sentences
On March 24th after a trial in an Egyptian court that lasted approximately one hour, with most
defendants tried in absentia, no prosecution evidence presented to establish the individual guilt of any
of the accused, and defence lawyers blocked from calling witnesses 528 people were sentenced to
death in what is undeniably the largest mass death sentence, anywhere, for many years. The outrage
from around the world has been swift and unrelenting. The combination of what can only be described
as a sham trial coupled with such callous and indifferent resort to the death penalty at a time of
significant global momentum towards its abolition has been an affront to human rights, the rule of law
and the international community.
Amnesty International has called on Egyptian authorities to overturn these death sentences and ensure
that the individuals are retried in proceedings that rigorously meet fair trial standards and do not involve
resort to the death penalty. We have also pressed the authorities to agree to impose a moratorium on
executions, overturn all other death sentences and agree not to seek or impose the death penalty in
other cases. As a country that has not resorted to the death penalty in over fifty years, it is vitally
important that Canada press those same demands with Egyptian authorities.
Minister you visit Egypt at a critical juncture for human rights in the country. Additionally, you have an
opportunity to press forcefully for action regarding three situations in which Canadas voice is
particularly influential: the cases of Mohamed Fahmy and Khaled al-Qazzaz and the mass death
sentences imposed less than one month ago on 528 individuals. We look forward to hearing of the
steps you take to press for human rights improvements in Egypt.
Sincerely,
Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada
(English Branch)
Batrice Vaugrante
Directrice Gnrale
Amnistie Internationale Canada Francophone
For further information contact John Tackaberry, Media Relations

(613)744-7667 #236 [email protected]

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APRIL 16, 2014

The Honourable John Baird

For further information contact John Tackaberry, Media Relations

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