Ahmed Samir Santawy, a student of the Central European University, was recently sentenced to three years in prison for “spreading false news. This sentence appears to be retaliation for his research on women’s rights. His arrest is part of a recurring pattern of detaining academics at Cairo Airport and handing them prison terms.
July 22, 2022
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Office of the President
Al Ittihadia Palace
Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt
p.spokesman@op.gov.eg
Dear President el-Sisi:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are writing again in regard to Mr. Ahmed Samir Santawy, a master’s student at the Central European University in Vienna, Austria, studying women’s reproduction rights. He was arrested on a family visit to Egypt in February 2021. He was initially accused of being a member of a terrorist group and spreading fake news on social media about the country. It was reported that he was beaten and tortured by state security officers. In June 2021 he was sentenced to four years in prison. In protest, Mr. Santawy held a 40-day hunger strike. He was granted a retrial in February 2022. The new trial concluded on July 4, 2022, with a three-year sentence for “spreading false news”.
CCS is concerned that Mr. Santawy’s arrest is retaliation for his studies of women’s rights. We write to urge you to release Mr. Santawy given the violations of due process, his right to a fair trial, and his right to freedom of expression as pointed out by the United Nations in terms of both Egypt and international law. Barring his release, we request that his health and medical needs are monitored and that he is treated with the highest standard of humanity and civility, while he is kept in prison.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Cc:
Antony J. Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Twitter: @ABlinken
Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen
Ambassador of the United States to Egypt
5 Tawfik Diab Street
Garden City, Cairo, Egypt
Telephone: (20-2) 2797 3300
Fax: (20-2) 2797 3200
Twitter: @USEmbassyCairo
Ambassador Motaz Zahran
Ambassador of Egypt to the United States
Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi
3521 International Court, NW
Washington, DC United States 20008
consulate@egyptembassy.net
Phone: (202) 895-5400
Twitter: @MotazZahran
Sameh Hassan Shoukry
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Egypt Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Masbero-Kornish El Nile Street
Cairo, Egypt
Contact.Us@mfa.gov.eg
Phone: 25796334/39 – 25772500
Fax: 25748822