Summary: Ahmed Samir Santawy, a Master’s student in Sociology and Social Anthropology at Central European University in Vienna, Austria has been detained since February 2021 and was sentenced in June to four years in prison. It appears that his sentence may be in retaliation for his work with women’s rights.
August 4, 2021
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Office of the President
Al Ittihadia Palace
Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt
p.spokesman@op.gov.eg
Dear Mr. President:
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 academic freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We write to express our concern over the continued detainment and recent sentencing in Egypt of Mr. Ahmed Samir Santawy, who is a second-year MA student in Sociology and Social Anthropology at the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, Austria. This detainment occurred while he was in Egypt visiting his family and has been going on since February 2021.
On June 22 2021, the Emergency State Security Court sentenced Santawy to four years in prison for supposedly publishing “false news”. The rulings of this court cannot be appealed and can only be changed by the president. Since then, Santawy has been on a hunger strike, protesting his arrest and sentence, which is putting his life in danger. This comes after he reportedly was subjected to beatings, forced disappearance, and torture, claims which have been ignored and left uninvestigated by the authorities.
We are concerned that the arrest of Santawy was in retaliation for his academic work on women’s rights in Egypt. We are also concerned that the continuing extension of the state of emergency since April 2017 is being used to silence “critics” like Santawy.
Egypt is a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects freedom of speech and thought (Article 19). We write to urge Egypt to recognize its international commitments and release Santawy if the charges against him are without merit. We also ask you to order investigation of any mistreatment that he may have faced. He should receive unconditional access to his family, lawyers, and healthcare.
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:
Motaz Zahran
Ambassador of Egypt to the United States
3521 International Ct NW,
Washington, DC, United States 20008
consulate@egyptembassy.net
Phone: (202) 895-5400
Twitter: @MotazZahran
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