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LCHR has sent a letter to the Attorney General and the Ministers of Interior and Justice entitled: Borg Megheizal women ask … why do you arrest and torture our men? Is it of any justice to prosecute the victims and release the criminals?
The LCHR has received complaints from dozens of women living in Borg Megheizal – Markaz Matobas – Kafr El Sheikh Governorate. They were complaining about the attacks carried out by the security forces to their homes without any right to do so, arresting their sons and husbands who work in the fishing profession.
The wife of Akram Asad Ghareeb states in her complaint "in 24/2/2008 at about 3 am, the security forces attacked our home scaring our children. They took my husband and made him spend the night in the police station, he was presented to the prosecution the next day, then he was released as there were no charges, but the police refused to release him, then he was departed to Borg El Arab with an arrest warrant. For 3 months now we have been complaining about this issue. Court orders have declaired him innocent but the police just kept refusing to set him free. My husband is a simple fisherman who works for daily wages, we don't have a boat but we are managing. We have a son and two daughters, one of these daughters was born while my husband is still in detention"
On behalf of this woman, the LCHR has presented a complaint no. 20243 in 29/12/2008, but her husband was not released yet.
The wife of Hasan Shaban Ahmed states in her complaint "my husband is a 30 year old fisherman. We have 4 kids. He works on a boat for daily wages. One day, my husband was arrested on the shores of Italy along with 14 other crew members. They were arrested for 4 moths there, then they were sent to Egypt where they were detained for 20 days in Abu Zabal prison, then they were sent to Matobas police station . in 26/9/2008 everyone was released except for my husband the boat mechanic. How come the police arrests the boat workers and leave the boat owner"
Then the wife of the boat mechanic Mohamed Ahmed El Bahlawan speaks "my husband was arrested with Hasan Shaban for 4 moths now, he had a release note but he was not released. We have 5 children all of them in school. We almost have no money to eat. I can't even visit him for more than a month now"
On behalf of these women, the LCHR has presented a complaint to the Prosecutor General with no. 7 for the year 2009 in 1/1/2009 to investigate these events, but these men were not released yet although release notes have been issued for them.
The LCHR has presented several other similar complaints to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Interior to investigate the events of torture and mistreatment against the detainees and their families and apply the court orders that have stated their release.
The LCHR calls the civil society organizations and the members of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council to intervene in this situation to quickly release the detained fishermen, protect their families and guarantee their right to live safely and freely.
For more information please contact the Center.