Egyptian authorities have systematically abused and intimidated the Al-Showeikh family since April of this year.
President Joseph R. Biden
Vice President Kamala D. Harris
Dear Mr. President Biden & Madam Vice President Harris,
On behalf of the undersigned individuals and organizations, we write to ask for your intervention on behalf of Egyptian citizens Abdelrahman Al-Showeikh, his brother Abdelaziz Al-Showeikh, and their mother, Hoda Ahmed. Egyptian authorities arrested Abdelrahman in 2014 because of his opposition to the coup that brought Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to power. Abdelrahman's brother, Abdelaziz, was arrested in 2017. Both brothers were falsely charged with belonging to a terrorist group, and remain in prison to this day.
Beginning on April 6th of this year, Abdelrahman was systematically tortured and sexually assaulted by police officers, informants, and other security personnel at the prison where he is incarcerated. After five days of torture and rape, he was hospitalized.
Abdelrahman wrote a letter to his mother, Hoda. He described what he had suffered, and begged her to share his story with the world, so that others might not suffer the same way he had. In asking his mother to do this, he knew he would certainly be tortured again and likely die. But Abdelrahman believed that if his story came to light, some of Egypt's thousands of political prisoners might be spared the inhumane treatment he had endured.
Hoda fearlessly responded to her son's plea. She sent official and unofficial appeals to various local and international NGOs working in the field of human rights, calling on the international community to ensure accountability and justice—not just for her son, but for thousands of other political prisoners who are being tortured in Egyptian prisons every day.
President Al-Sisi's response was predictable. On April 27, 2021, Egyptian security raided Abdelrahman's family home, arresting his mother, father, and 18-year old sister. Egyptians Abroad for Democracy Worldwide, together with other activist organizations, immediately called for the release of the Al-Showeikh family. Although Abdelrahman's father and sister were released, Hoda and her sons remain incarcerated.
Hoda is charged in case 900/2021 with "spreading of false news" and "affiliation with a terrorist group" (the Muslim Brotherhood). Hoda suffers from severe diabetes and cannot walk without assistance. In prison, she is denied medication. The Al-Sisi regime has in effect issued her a death sentence.
President Biden and Vice President Harris, we urge you to call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately stop torturing Abdelrahman Al-Showeikh and release him, his brother Abdelaziz Al-Showeikh, and his mother, Hoda Ahmed. We also call on you to urge Egyptian authorities to stop their ongoing harassment of Abdelrahman's father and sister, who, although "free," are under constant surveillance.
You campaigned on the promise that human rights would be a top priority. Just last month, Egypt executed eighteen individuals. These individuals were convicted in grossly unfair trials that relied on confession extracted through torture. More than seventy thousand political prisoners, like Abdelrahman, sit in Egyptian prisons. President Al-Sisi does not tolerate even the slightest criticism or dissent. Yet the United States continues to give more than one billion dollars in aid each year to Egypt. It is U.S. aid that is supporting Al-Sisi's corrupt, criminal, and fascist regime. U.S. taxpayers pay for weapons that Al-Sisi uses against his own civilian population, not against enemies. U.S. taxpayers pay for weapons that ensure Al-Sisi stays in power through fear and intimidation. Al-Sisi's use of U.S.-sponsored weaponry to brutalize Egyptians makes them resent the United States and, in some cases, turn to extremism and violence. For the sake of both the United States and Egypt, it is time that you keep your campaign promise of, "No more blank checks for Trump's favorite dictator."
The United States can do more and do better—we implore you to exert pressure on President Al-Sisi for the Al-Showeikh family's freedom and stop giving military aid to Egypt.
Sincerely,
Organizations:
- EGYPTIANS ABROAD FOR DEMOCRACY
- DEMOCRACY FOR THE ARAB WORLD NOW
- Democracy for the Arab World (DAWN)
- INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER
- CODE PINK
- Progrress DEMOCRATS OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTINGS
- Human RIGHTS MONITOR
- BE MAGAZINE
- GANDHI GLOBAL CENTER FOR PEACE
- Egyptians Coordination of Rights and Freedoms
- EGYPTIAN AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
- NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY
Sincerely,
Individulals:
- Noam Chomsky
- Institute Professor (emeritus) MIT, USA
- Lauren Cundick Petersen, Esq.
- Immigration & International Human Rights Attorney, USA
- Missy Crutchfield
- Co-Founder, Gandhi Global Centre For Peace, USA
- Melissa Turner
- Co-Founder / Editor-in-Chief
- BeMagazine.org, USA
- Medea Benjamin
- cofounder CodePink, USA
- Norman Gary Finkelstein
American political scientist, activist, former professor and author, USA - Sara Flounders,
Co-Director, International Action Centre - Jackie Ross
Independent International Human Rights Advocate & Asylum Coordinator, USA - Mohamed Ismail
Director, Egyptians Abroad for Democracy Worldwide
Founder, Egypt's Hope Party - Mohamed Shoubair
- Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA
- Fisal M Hammouda
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Maissa Abdelatif
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, UK - Yousreya Abdel Hamid Khalil PhD.
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Mohamed Abdelrehim
Journalist, Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Turkey - Salah El Doby
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Switzerland - Mona Elshazly, Engineer
Human rights activist
Egyptians Abroad For Democracy, UK - Abeer Omar
Assistant professor Trent university,
Egyptians Abroad For Democracy, Canada - Mohamed Abdelhalim
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, UK - Asmaa EL Serafy
Human rights activist
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Turkey - Sherif Elgendy M.D.
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Ghada Naguib
Human rights and political activist
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Turkey - Nancy kamal Abdelhamed Aly
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Germany - Ahmed Saad
Human rights and political activist
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Sweden - Adham Hasanin
Egyptian Journalist, Netherlands - Gamal Gouda El Sayed
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Canada - Rasha Wegdan
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Mamdouh Kelaid
Research Scientist, Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Sameh Farag
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, Canada - Ihab Ghobrial
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Dr. Amin Mahmoud
Centre for Egyptian American Relations, USA - Dr. Yasser Shalaby
Political activist, Egyptians Abroad for Democracy, USA - Ahmed Saleh, PhD
Centre of Egyptian American Relations, USA - Abdallah Sherif Farrag
Egyptians Abroad for Democracy,
England, United Kingdom - Dina El Henawy
Social media influencer & Human rights activist, Canada - Heba Hassan
Human rights defender
Manager of Egyptian Coordination of rights and Feedoms, Turkey - Muhammad Kamal
Research assistant DAWN, Turkey - Bahgat Elsagher
Human Rights Advocate, Egyptian Democracy, USA - Samir Saikali
Giving voice to voiceless, USA - Dr. Dardery A. R.
President of CEAD
www.ceadusa.org, USA - Reem Desouky
Translator, Lancaster PA, USA - Amr Ayad
Architect, England - Said Abassy
Coordinator- Egyptians Americans For Democracy and Human Rights, NY/NJ - Abdurrahman Ezz
Egyptian Journalist - Salma Ashraf
Director, Human Rights Monitor - Mohamed Ibrahim
Center for Egyptian American Relations - Walaa shehata
Teacher / Dallas / Tx - Ruba Qewa
3D Madeler Animator Developer /Dallas/TX - Mohamed ElSadeek
A human Cares for humanity, Canada - Asmaa Shokr
Journalist, Human rights activist and political activist, New Zealand
Photo Credits: A picture taken during a guided tour organised by Egypt's State Information Service on February 11, 2020, shows an Egyptian policeman near watch towers at Tora prison on the southern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
