Statement
On World Human Rights Day, Belady demands prompt intervention for the unconditional release of Ms. Rehab Nabil Mohamed.
On November 17, 2022, the Cairo Criminal Court, Second Circuit-Terrorism, sentenced Ms. Rehab Nabil Mohamed Megahed to life imprisonment and five years probation. Moreover, the court included her on terrorism lists after she was charged in Case No. 95 of 2022, Supreme State Security, registered under No. 159 of 2022 Supreme State Security Felonies, known in the media as “El Salam Police Station Torture” case.
The events of this case began with the circulation of a video clip of a group of men and a child in cell No. 4 at El Salam Police Station. In this video, they explained that the bruises and abrasions on their bodies are the results of their torture by the police officers and personnel in the station.
Subsequently, everyone who appeared in the video and those who circulated it were included in the aforementioned case for participating in a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes and means; funding terrorism; deliberately spreading false news on the countrys domestic issues that would weaken the state’s power, disturb public security, and terrorize people; harming the public interest; possessing a recording device; and temporarily allocating it to record this news.
The Egyptian authorities continually disregard all the voices calling to end torture in detention facilities and to hold everyone involved in these acts accountable, as such acts are criminalized by Egyptian law and international treaties. Moreover, the authorities punish the victims and their supporters. After publishing the video clip, Ms. Nabil was forcibly disappeared for twenty days, during which she was subjected to severe beatings, after which she was sent to trial.
Following this incident, Belady:
– Condemns the verdict against Ms. Rehab Nabil Megahed for publishing the video clip of violence at the police station and demands her release and acquittal of all the malicious charges brought against her.
– demands the Egyptian authorities to seriously consider the cases of torture and open an investigation into the published video.
– Calls authorities to stop holding the victims of torture accountable and maltreating them.
