Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

CCS Protests Lack of Due Process In
Long Detention of Former Morsi Official

Khaled al-Quzzaz, an engineer and educator, was foreign relations secretary to former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. After Morsi was deposed by the Egyptian military, al-Quazzaz was arrested. He has been imprisoned in maximum security for over a year, over half of that in solitary confinement. We asked for the Egyptian government to provide him with due process, a fair trial and access to counsel and family.

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President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
Arab Republic of Egypt
c/o Embassy of Egypt to the United States
3521 International Court NW
Washington DC 20008

Your Excellency:

We write now in concern for Kahled al-Qazzaz.

Khaled al-Qazzaz, an engineer and educator, has been in imprisoned for 365 days in the maximum security wing of Tora prison in Cairo. More than half of that time was spent in solitary confinement.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has confirmed that after the military deposed President Mohamed Morsi, military officials detained the former president together with ten of his senior aides, holding them incommunicado at an unknown location. Five of Morsi’s aides remained incommunicado without legal basis at the time of HRW’s report. Al-Qazzaz was one of the officials referred to in the report. Al-Qazzaz was the foreign relations secretary to Mohamed Morsi.

We do not take any position on the political situation leading to the ouster of President Morsi. However, we are seriously disturbed by al-Qazzaz’ alleged treatment because we believe that every person is entitled to due process of law, a fair trial, and opportunity to have access to family and counsel in jail. Al-Qazzaz does not appear to have been granted any of these rights, which are guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a signatory as of 1982.

We therefore respectfully request that you investigate this situation and assure that al-Qazzaz is afforded full opportunities to a fair trial, to due process during imprisonment, and to access to family and counsel, as well as to medical care if needed.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich,
Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer

Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

 

cc: H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Tawfik

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 4525
Easton, PA 18043
Phone: (570) 994-2093
abender@concernedscientists.org