Rights & Democracy mission leaves to assess case against jailed Egyptian opposition leader
MEDIA ADVISORY
MONTREAL – May 4, 2006 – An official Rights & Democracy delegation arrives in Egypt tomorrow on a four-day mission to assess and report on the case against Dr. Ayman Nour, President Hosni Mubarak’s chief rival in last year’s presidential election.
Dr. Nour, the founder and leader of the Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) party, was sentenced to five years in prison in December for allegedly forging signatures on Al-Ghad’s application to participate in last fall’s presidential elections. Dr. Nour maintains his innocence and his lawyers have appealed his conviction, saying the charges against him are politically motivated. Egypt ’s Cassation Court is scheduled to hear Dr. Nour’s appeal on May 18.
Representing Rights & Democracy in Egypt are: Janice Stein, Chairperson of Rights & Demoracy’s Board of Directors; The Hon. Flora MacDonald, Canada’s former Minister of External Affairs; The Hon. Monique Vézina, Canada’s former Minister responsible for la Francophonie and international development ; A. Wayne MacKay, Vice-Chair of Rights & Democracy’s Board of Directors; Saad Eddin Ibrahim, member of Rights & Democracy’s Board of Directors; and Jean-Louis Roy, President of Rights & Democracy.
The mission starts today in Paris, where delegates will meet with Boutros Boutros Ghali, President of Egypt’s National Human Rights Commission. The mission arrives in Cairo on Friday, May 5, for four days of meetings with representatives of the Egyptian government, human rights organizations and Mr. Nour’s lawyer, Amir Salem. Rights & Democracy also hopes to meet with Mr. Nour, pending permission to do so by Egypt ’s Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Mission delegates will be available for interviews on Tuesday, May 9.
For More Information
Please contact Steve Smith (ext 255) or Louis Moubarak (ext 261) at Rights & Democracy, 514-283-6073.
