End unfair trials in Egypt

Egyptian Uprising: Maspero on Mubarak's Last Day © Omar Robert Hamilton

Like thousands of Egyptians, Amr Abdallah Al-Beheiry is waiting for justice. One year after the “25 January Revolution”, it seems further away than ever.

Last February, military police and soldiers beat Amr Abdallah Al-Beheiry up and arrested him at a protest in Cairo. Days later, a military court sentenced him to five years in prison for assaulting a public officer and breaking the curfew. Amr Abdallah Al-Beheiry had no chance of a fair trial. His hearing lasted just minutes. The court didn’t allow his family or lawyer into the room. Instead, it chose its own lawyer to defend him. Now, a military appeals court has said Amr Abdallah Al-Beheiry will be retried – by another military court.

As for Maikel Nabil Sanad, the army is toying with his life. He has already served 10 months in jail for criticizing the army. His family’s hopes were dashed when he was not released in spite of an official announcement. He should never been sentenced in the first place.

Military courts can’t deliver justice.

Egypt’s military courts violate basic human rights, like the right to a fair trial and the right to appeal to a higher tribunal. Since the uprising, they have tried 12,000 and convicted an estimated 8,000 ordinary Egyptians for crimes like “thuggery” or “breaking curfew”. Sentences range from a few months to years in prison. They have even sentenced people to death.

Egypt’s military rulers have said they will release nearly 2,000 people locked up after military trials. However, they have not said how many have been left behind bars. It’s time to put a stop such trials once and for all.

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Call on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to end military trials of civilians.

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