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. We deserve life … We disserve freedom The people of Sarando village demand the General Prosecutor and the Minister of the Interior to release their women and children
Land Center for Human Rights is following up with extreme concern the developments in Sarando village and the villages around it in El Behira province; especially after some ownership claimers have used violence against the farmers in the first of January 2005 to force them to leave their lands.
Farmers state that in 5/3/2005, about 50 bullies -subordinated to the ownership claimer- attacked the village, they were riding 4 armored cars, a microbus, 5 jeeps and 5 tractors, holding firearms and swords, they were intending to plow the farmers lands where they have planted wheat, these men fired shots on the farmers, and then a clash took place between them, which have resulted of injuries of tens of men from both sides, a rumor was spread that “Alaa’a Mohamed Abdel Wahab Nawwar” has died as a result of his injury, the clash has resulted of the burning of 3 tractors and 2 cars, and the situation is still very dangerous inside the village and the villages around it.
After that, the police forces went to the village and made random arrests of women (till now, some women are still detained in Damanhour police station without any right to do so), and they are:
1. Ranya Samir El Sabbagh.
2. Rashida El Gizawy.
3. Ne’ma Hafez Abo Tolba.
4. Zahia El Agrab.
5. Samah Abdel Hamid El Garf.
6. Farhana Hafez.
7. El Sayeda Mohamed El Attar.
8. Rasm Ahmed Khallaf.
9. Zahra Saeed Abo El Ela.
10. Seham Saeed Abo El Ela.
11. Khadra Mohamed Zaki.
12. Aziza Mansour El Feqy.
13. Howaida Mohamed Mahmoud El Feqy.
The police forces have also arrested some children, and they are:
1. El Khadra Mohamed Zaki (9 years old).
2. Fatma Saleh El Shenawy (5 years old).
3. Somaya Saleh El Shenawy (2 years old).
And the children of Mrs. Aziza Mansour El Feqy:
1. Ahmed Ibrahim (5 years old).
2. Mohamed Ibrahim (2 years old).
The villagers testimonies to the LCHR state that the police forces have tied every 2 women by their hair in addition to tying their hands, they have been arrested, put inside the police cars and transported to Damanhour police station. And since dawn yesterday, there was a curfew inside the village, and till now, the police forces are still arresting farmers and detaining them inside Damanhour police station.
The village farmers have escaped after this arrest, assault and humiliation waves, leaving their women and children face their fate with the security men in the village.
Some of the officials in El Behira province have confirmed that the women will not be released -according to the agreement with the chief of police and the policemen in the district- unless some of the wanted farmers turn their selves in to Damanhour police station, and they are:
1. Abdel Razek Abdel Razek Abo El Ela (35 years old).
2. Mohamed Adallah El Gizawy (26 years old).
3. Gameel Abdel Men’em Gameel (28 years old).
4. Naser Abdel Gawad Aamer (28 years old).
5. Azmy Abdel Gawad Abo Zeid (23 years old).
6. Mustafa Abdel Hamid El Garf (45 years old).
7. Mohamed Ragab El Sayed (45 years old).
8. Karam Mohamed Hesein El Feqy (28 years old).
9. Abo Taleb Abda;;ah Ab Zeid (29 years old).
10. Mohamed Addel Aziz (a lawyer in the freedoms committee at the lawyers syndicate in El Behira).
As the chief of police have completed the minutes and there aren’t any of the accused people to be transferred with the minutes to the prosecution, it is enough to at least 5 of these farmers turn in their selves to release the women and children (according to villagers testimonies to the LCHR today).
The situation is still deteriorated inside the village; no one is there but women and children, the central security cars and policemen who are spread all over the village searching for the escaping men, this situation indicate (portend) pernicious consequences and need quick interference by the officials in the district, the Ministry of the Interior and the General Prosecutor to protect the families and guarantee farmers rights in personal safety and social insurance in the village.
On the other side, the farmers complaints to the LCHR state that in the dawn of Friday 4/3/2005, the police forces in El Behira province have attacked the village and arrested tens of farmers including women, and till now they are still detained without any right to do so, claiming that some of the farmers have prevented the ownership claimer from going to his land and took over his possession, the security forces attacked houses, broke its’ doors and presented 7 of these farmers for interrogation of these charges, and they are:
1. Hamdy Mustafa El Hosary.
2. Ibrahim Mohamed Abdel Magid Abo Kalila.
3. Mohamed Abdel Hamid El Gorf.
4. Abdel Hamid Ahmed Khallaf.
5. Khamees Mohamed Hesien.
6. Mohamed Ramadan Hashem.
7. Mohamed Mahmoud El Feqy.
They have been presented to Damanhour prosecution in case no. 2825 for the year 2005 Damanhour misdemeanour.
Farmers have confirmed that the police forces have arrested them from their bedrooms and didn’t wait for them to wear their clothes, and here are some of the detained farmers accusations and testimonies in this case:
Accusation: all of the farmers were charged with trespassing and stealing the crops of Salah Nawwar and preventing him from going to his land by force, they have been also charged with weapon possession to frighten people and endanger their safety.
1. Hamdy Mustafa El Hosary:
I was sleeping in my home on Thursday, in the dawn of Friday, I was surprised by the police forces breaking my door, entering the bedroom, taking me by force and beating me without knowing why? After that, I was taken to the security department and then to the police station, I’m here though I don’t own a land and I don’t have a dispute with Mustafa Nawwar or any of the village people.
2. Ibrahim Mohamed Abdel Magid Abo Kalila:
What happened is that I was asleep with my children and they broke my door in Friday at dawn, took me without having the chance to wear my clothes and beat me up, then, I got into the car without knowing why did they take me to the security forces, then, took us to the police station, and I don’t know anything about these accusations.
3. Mohamed Abdel Hamid El Gorf:
They broke the door of my house, entered and took me while I was sleeping, my wife and daughters started screaming when they saw them humiliating and beating me then taking me by force, my sons gave me my clothes while I was in the car, and told me “take care of your self father” and non of these accusations that you have mentioned have happened.
4. Abdel Hamid Ahmed Khallaf (52 years old):
They broke the door of my house, entered and took me while I was sleeping, I’m an old man and I don’t cause any trouble, I work for daily wages and I don’t have land nor cattle, they took me to the police forces and then to the police station, why is that?
5. Khamees Mohamed Hesien:
I’m a worker in Borg El Arab in Alexandria as a reinforced concrete worker, which mean I get back home every 15 days on Thursday, I just came back last Thursday and they took me in Friday at dawn while I was sleeping after they broke the door and frightened my children, I don’t know anything about these allegations, there is one more thing, they sent for me 2 months ago through the lawyer called “Reda Naseef” we were taken to the police station to Mr. Mohamed Ammar the chief of police, who made us sign some papers that we didn’t know anything about, and those who refused to sign were beaten, tortured and signed by force, I didn’t do anything and I don’t know anything about all of this.
6. Mohamed Ramadan Hashem:
I work in (Gana) farm located on the freeway in Alexandria, I come back home every 10 days, I got back last Thursday, they broke the door, entered while I was sleeping, broke the door to my room and took me almost naked, I have nothing to do with this land and I don’t know where it is, why did they do this with me? I didn’t do anything.
7. Mohamed Mahmoud El Feqy:
I work as an employee in the property taxes not a farmer, the story is that the chief of police is pressuring the farmers to hand over the lands to Hagg. Salah Nawwar, I refused to let my brother give up his land, on Friday at dawn, the police arrested me and I don’t know why? And I don’t know anything about these accusations.
LCHR has followed up with deep concern all of the developments in Sarando Village especially what is related to the continuous violations of human rights, the absence of the rule of law and social safety, the deteriorated security status inside the village and the continuous attempts made by the ownership claimer to silence the victims by presenting minutes, complaints and fabricating cases against them, which will lead to the imprisonment of all of the people of the village as stated in their complaints to the LCHR.
All of this, so that the farmers don’t demand to own the lands as an implementation to the last decision of the constitutional court. LCHR has issued 2 previous publications clarifying the dimensions of the land ownership problems in Sarando village in 12/1/2005 – 6/2/2005.
LCHR has presented the complaints to the Minister of the Interior and the General prosecutor demanding the quick interference to guarantee citizens rights in personal and social safety, implement the rule of the law, the quick release of the hostages of Sarando village (women and children) who are detained in Damanhour police station without any right to do so and stop terrifying the villagers, LCHR has presented a request to the Minister of Agriculture to form a committee of local leaderships and officials from the agrarian reform corporation to observe the lands of the reform corporation both released and stolen in Damanhour station, and investigate the farmers complaints to stop the process of taking over the lands of the reform corporation in El Behira province especially Sarando village and the villages around it.
The Land Center for Human Rights requests the civil society organizations and all of those interested in the issues of human rights and farmers to demand the Minister of the Interior and the General Prosecutor to release the detained farmers, women and children in Damanhour police station to guarantee citizens their social safety, dignity and freedom and their right in an adequate, safe and humane life.