10 October 2005
The  (HRINFO) asked the General Prosecutor, Maher Abdel Wahab, to use his legal powers in ordering the immediate release of Dr. Essam El Aryan.
El-Aryan was arrested on 6 August 2005 for accusations of being affiliated to the banned Muslim Brotherhood and for organising demonstrations calling for political reform in Egypt.
El-Aryan was arrested during a campaign of arrests against reform activists. Many have been released in intermittent periods. However, El-Aryan and ten of his colleagues are still in detention despite the fact that interrogations are over. In addition, he was not put on trial for these claimed accusations.
This confirms that provisional detention is used as a punishment, especially in cases of expression. "Essam El-Aryan only practiced his right to freedom of expression amongst thousands of others who peacefully and publicly called for reform.
The continuation of his detention in such a manner only reveals the falseness of the promises made by the Egyptian government concerning reform," Gamal Eid, HRINFO Director, said.
On 1 October 2005 the Higher State Security Prosecutor decided to renew Dr. Essam El-Aryan's detention along with three of his colleagues.
This decision was made despite the fact that he is a public person. El-Aryan is Treasury Secretary of the Medical Syndicate and a former Member of Parliament. It is surprising to find that he has been arrested in such a manner.
This can only be explained by the existence of antagonism between him and the state. In this context, it seems that the prosecutor's office is used as vindictive tool by the state, especially in light of the fact that those responsible for attacks committed on the referendum day, 25 May 2005, known as Black Wednesday, have not been questioned.
Thus, the environment in Egypt is that in which reform activists are arrested while those responsible for gross violations are given the blind eye.
HRINFO has called upon all civil society organisations to reveal the defected justice in Egypt and defend prisoners of conscious, most importantly Dr. Essam El-Aryan.