An Egyptian-American academic was convicted a second time Monday of tarnishing Egypt's image and other charges and sentenced to seven years in a case international human rights organizations had condemned as politically motivated.
According to AP, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, 63, was sentenced during 2001 to seven years in prison for embezzlement, receiving foreign funds without authorization and tarnishing Egypt's reputation. An appeals court ordered a retrial on the same charges. The second trial opened April 27.
Human rights groups in Egypt and abroad have condemned the case against Ibrahim, a sociology professor at the American University in Cairo, saying it is aimed at limiting political debate in Egypt. Ibrahim is an outspoken human rights and democracy advocate.
In his closing arguments earlier this week, prosecutor Sameh Seif told the State Security Court that Ibrahim was using funds raised through a think tank he founded for personal gain and lured his staff into an embezzlement scheme.
At the heart of the case was a democracy-building grant Ibrahim's think tank received from the European Union that included money to monitor and encourage participation in Egypt's legislative elections in 2000.
Ibrahim's Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies was to do the monitoring. Some two dozen members of the center's staff were charged and convicted with Ibrahim last year and are also being retried.
The European Union has said in an affidavit it did not believe its grants, which totaled some $250,000, were misused. One of the main defendants, Khaled Fayad, said he was forced during his imprisonment to falsely accuse Ibrahim of embezzlement.
The prosecutor also accused Ibrahim of carrying out research dedicated to showing discrimination against Copts — Egypt's Christian minority — a sensitive issue for the Egyptian government.
"The first week of this case showed once again that the charges against Dr. Ibrahim and his co-defendants are without foundation," said Neil Hicks, the director of the Lawyers Committee's Human Rights Defenders Project, who was one of two Lawyers Committee observers at the opening of the trial on April 27.
"The arbitrary manner in which Dr. Ibrahim and others working at organizations with which he is associated have been singled out for prosecution demonstrates the ease with which the government can manipulate the legal and judicial system for its own ends."
Amnesty International considers Ibrahim to be a prisoner of conscience and has appealed for his immediate and unconditional release.
U.S. reaction
The US embassy in Egypt expressed its "disappointment and concern" over the conviction of Ibrahim. "US Charge d'Affaires Gordon Gray expressed his disappointment and concern today at the decision by Egypt's State Security Court to convict Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an American citizen," the embassy said in a statement.
"I'm very discouraged that the court has reached a decision to convict Dr. Ibrahim," Gray was quoted as saying.
"On many occasions we have expressed our concern to the Egyptian government, both here and in Washington, about the process that led to this verdict. We are currently analyzing the implications of this decision and I expect the Department of State to have a statement on this matter," he said.
The embassy said it has kept in close touch with Ibrahim and his family since the beginning of the case. Ibrahim was first arrested on June 30, 2000. US embassy officers in Cairo have frequently visited him in jail.
"US officials, members of Congress, and the embassy on numerous occasions have raised our strong concerns about the fairness of the process and Dr. Ibrahim's welfare with the Egyptian government," the embassy statement said.
"We note that Dr. Ibrahim's health is fragile. We will continue to follow his case and do all we can to ensure he has access to proper medical treatment," the statement added. (Albawaba.com)
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