Communiqué de solidarité avec l’avocat du travail égyptien Haytham Mohamadeen

Vendredi 18 mai à l’aube, les forces de sécurité égyptiennes ont investi le logement de Haytham Mohamadeen, avocat du travail et activiste socialiste, pour l’emmener vers une destination inconnue. Haytham est un défenseur connu des droits des travailleurs, et a travaillé sans relâche pour soutenir les syndicalistes indépendants visés par la répression de l’état à cause de leurs revendications pour de meilleures conditions de travail et le droit à l’organisation et à la grève. De plus, comme l’affirme Amnesty International, Mr Mohamadeen “a été persécuté par les autorités égyptiennes en raison de son travail pour les droits de l’homme” ; il a en effet joué un rôle central pour défendre le Centre al-Nadeem, qui soutient les victimes de torture et de violence, du harcèlement et de la persécution par les autorités.

Mr Mohamadeen est apparu au tribunal le samedi 19 mai pour se faire signifier sa mise en détention provisoire pendant 15 jours. Les rapports d’activistes des droits de l’homme en Egypte disent qu’il subit un interrogatoire pour avoir “encouragé à des manifestations contre la hausse récente du prix des tickets de métro.”

Nous exprimons notre inquiétude quant au bien-être de Mr Mohamadeen après son arrestation, au vu de l’utilisation systématique et bien documentée des abus et de la torture par les forces de sécurité égyptiennes contre les détenus. Nous sommes convaincu-e-s que son arrestation est conçue, encore une fois, pour faire taire toute critique à l’encontre du pouvoir militaire actuel. Nous sommes outré-e-s de voir que l’on puisse se faire arrêter et poursuivre en justice pour avoir protesté contre les inégalités sociales. Nous appelons les autorités égyptiennes à libérer Haytham Mohamadeen immédiatement et sans conditions et à abandonner les poursuites dont il fait l’objet.

Pour signer la pétition

https://www.change.org/p/prosecutor-general-arab-republic-of-egypt-freedom-for-haitham-mohamedain-stop-the-repression-in-egypt

 Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor Emeritus, MIT, USA
 Elias Khoury, Novelist and Academic, Lebanon
 Christine Buchholz, Member of the Bundestag, Germany
 Professor Clément Mouhot, University of Cambridge
 Ian Hodson, National President, Bakers’, Food & Allied Workers Union (UK)
 John Hendy, QC, UK
 Professor Gilbert Achcar, SOAS University of London, UK
 Talal Asad, Distinguished Professor, City University of New York
 Professor James Dickins, University of Leeds
 Professor Alex Callinicos, King’s College London
 Prof Haim Bresheeth, SOAS
 Dr Marion Hersh, University of Glasgow, UCU NEC
 Professor Malcolm Povey, University of Leeds
 Professor Khaled Fahmy, University of Cambridge
 Dr Tim Pringle, SOAS University of London, UK
 Dr Yasser Munif, Emerson College, Boston, USA
 Prof. Nadje Al-Ali, SOAS University of London, UK
 Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit TD, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland
 Bríd Smith, People Before Profit TD, Dublin South Central
 Gino Kenny, People Before Profit TD, Dublin Mid-West
 Gerry Carroll, People Before Profit MLA, Belfast
 Eamonn McCann, Journalist and author, Derry
 Dr Peadar O’Grady, Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Dublin
 Cllr Matt Collins, People Before Profit , Belfast City Council
 Cllr Tina MacVeigh, People Before Profit, Dublin City Council
 Cllr John Lyons, People Before Profit, Dublin City Council
 Cllr Emma Hendrick, People Before Profit, South Dublin County Council.
 Dr John Molyneux, retired lecturer and author
 Dr Anne Alexander, University of Cambridge
 Kieran Allen, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, UCD and author.
 Dr Adam Hanieh, SOAS University of London, UK
 Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, USA
 Dr. Bashir Abu-Manneh, Reader in Postcolonial Literature, University of Kent
 Professor Philip Marfleet, University of East London
 Dr. Carlo Morelli, University of Dundee and UCU NEC member
 Professor Ziad Elmarsafy, King’s College London
 Dr Nicola Pratt, University of Warwick
 Professor Alfredo Saad Filho, SOAS University of London
 Prof Mark Zeitoun, University of East Anglia
 Prof John Chalcraft, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
 Lorenzo Feltrin, University of Warwick
 Professor Ray Bush, University of Leeds
 Khaled Eissa, King’s College, London
 Rima Majed, American University of Beirut
 Dr. Waseem Yaqoob, University of Cambridge
 Dr Rasha Soliman, University of Leeds
 Suzan Gibril, Université libre de Bruxelles
 Dimitris Christopoulos, President of the International Federation of
Human Rights (FIDH), associate Professor at Panteion University of
Athens
 Lefteris Papagiannakis, vice mayor of Athens city
 Procopis Papastratis, Professor, Panteion University of Athens
 Makis Kavouriaris, professor, university, Paris
 Mihalis Lymperatos, professor, historian
 Petros Constantinou, councilor Athens municipality
 Katerina Thoidou, councilor Rentis-Nikaia municipality
 Orestis Elias, councilor Vrilisia municipality
 Serafim Rizos, councilor Chania and president of Local Teachers union
municipality
 Katerina Patrikiou, councilor Petroupoli municipality
 Argiri Erotokritou, member of the steering committee, health workers
union, G. Genimatas Hospital, Athens
 Zanneta Lysikatou, member of the general Council, of the Federation ofHospital doctors, (OENGE)
 Irini Fotelli, member of the steering committee of Federation of TV and
radio workers unions
 Kostas Katarahias, member of the steering committee, Athens and Piraeus,
 Hospital Doctors union, (EINAP)
 Katerina Patrikiou, secretary, health workers union, Athens cancer
hospital Aghios Savvas
 Yorgos Botsides, member of the steering committee, Evros Labour Centre
 Costas Pittas, secretary, Federation of civil servants unions in the
Ministry of Development
 Spyros Revithis, president, Athens Metro workers Union
 Vasilis Sylaidis, member of the steering committee, Athens Labour Center
 Costas Vorgias, member of the steering committee, INTRACOM workers union
 Nikos Hatzaras, secretary, Local government workers union, Ampelokipi,
Greater Salonica
 Alexandros Martzoukos, member of the steering committee, Actors Union of
Greece,
 Yiannis Theocharis, member of the steering committee, Federation of
Metalworkers of Greece
 Grigoris Kalomoiris, member of the steering committee, National
Confederation of Public Service (ADEDY)
 Thanasis Diavolakis, member of the steering committee, Federation of
Teachers in Private Schools.
 Manolis Mastorakis, member of the steering committee, Union of Athens
Water and Sewerage Company
 Ian Lawrence General Secretary. NAPO
 Janice Godrich President PCS
 Chris Baugh Assistant General Secretary PCS
 Dave Bean ex-Deputy President PCS
 Peter Edwards. MCA EBU. PCS
 Mark Baker. PCS National Executive Committee
 Austin Harney. PCS National Executive Committee
 Paul Williams PCS National Executive Committee
 Hector Wesley PCS National Executive Committee
 Marianne Owens PCS National Executive Committee
 Keith Crane EFRA Group Executive PCS
 D G Owens DWP Group Executive PCS
 Hamish Drummond Group Treasurer Revenue & Customs PCS.
 Ian Lowther Revenue & Customs Group Executive Committee PCS
 Nick McCarthy Senior National Officer PCS
 Peter Lockhart National Officer PCS
 Steve Cawkwell National Officer PCS
 Olivier Besancenot, porte parole NPA
 Christine Poupin, porte parole NPA
 Julien Salingue, researcher
 Philippe Poutou, former french presidential candidate, NPA

Early on Friday 18 May, Egyptian security forces stormed the house of labour lawyer and socialist activist Haitham Mohamedain, taking him away to an unknown destination. Haitham is a well-known defender of workers’ rights, and has worked tirelessly to support independent trade unionists facing state persecution for demanding better working conditions and the right to organise and strike. In addition, as Amnesty International notes, he “has been persecuted by the Egyptian authorities for his human rights work”, playing a crucial role in defending the El Nadeem Centre - which supports victims of torture and violence - from harassment and persecution by the authorities.

On Saturday 19 May, Haitham appeared in court and was remanded in custody for 15 days. According to reports from human rights activists in Egypt, he is being interrogated in relation to “incitement to protest over the price of Metro tickets.”

Some who allegedly protested over a recent abrupt rise in fares have been arrested and some subsequently released : others are still being held. It appears that Egypt’s security services have used the opportunity to seize Haitham Mohamedain : we believe that his arrest is designed, once again, to silence voices critical of the current military regime.

We are deeply concerned for Haitham’s well-being, given the well-documented pattern of abuse and torture of detainees by Egyptian security forces. We are appalled that anyone should face detention and prosecution on charges of speaking out for basic human rights. We call on the Egyptian authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally and for any charges against him to be dropped.