A few days ahead of the Presidential elections in Egypt to be held this 26-28 March, EuroMed Rights, together with its member Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC), are releasing a trial observation report on the case of prominent Egyptian human rights lawyer Khaled Ali.
The two organisations illustrate how, once more, the judiciary is being increasingly used to ensure convictions in politicised cases where basic fair trial guarantees are denied.
Commenting on the issue, EuroMed Rights President, Michel Tubiana, says:
“Khaled Ali, who was running as a candidate for the 2018 Presidential elections, had to abort his campaign due to overwhelming obstacles that had prevented him from even getting on the ballot. Among those obstacles stands a clear judicial harassment in form of a court case where the lawyer is being accused of making “an obscene gesture” outside a Cairo court.
Egypt under President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi has become a black hole for human rights and democracy. There is no place for the rule of law but only for repression and violence, in the name of security. Khaled Ali is just another victim of this aggressive regime that is shutting down every avenue for peaceful change.”
As the report evidences, the case against Khaled Ali seems to be politically motivated and biased, focused on Khaled Ali’s political and human rights activity without any information about the incident in question. So far, the only evidence presented by the investigating officer was that his security sources confirmed the gesture.
Notably revealing an inappropriate proximity between the judges and the prosecution, EuroMed Rights and BHRC are calling for a fair trial, involving an independent and impartial judiciary. Both organisations will remain attentive to Khaled Ali’s case whose appeal again has been adjourned to 6 June 2018.
Read our report here.