Tres de los principales activistas obreros de Mahalla, que fueron detenidos after the strike on April 6-Kamal el-Fayoumi, Tarek Amin and blogger Karim el-Beheira, have been released.
latter reported having been tortured by electricity and beatings by Egyptian security forces. According to its Association Agreement with the European Union, the Egyptian government to respect human rights. All three have recovered their jobs at the factory.
His release and reinstatement on the ground represent a victory, and are a sign of the effectiveness of the solidarity they received, both from within and from outside Egypt.
Egyptian activists send their appreciation to individuals and international entities signed messages of solidarity and protest against the repression. (More info )
still many activists arrested in Egypt, so solidarity is still needed. The question on the subject that was raised before the European Commission remains in place (see below).
More importantly, the social and economic problems that prompted the strike on April 6 remain, and fighting for change in Egypt continue. Just for instance, according to EFE (08/06/2008): "At least five people were injured Saturday in a protest of about 5,000 people from wheat shortage in a northwestern province of Egypt. "
Nevertheless, the release of these 3 people is good news. We are especially pleased the people who attended the Cairo Conference in March and met in person to Karim el-Beheira.
WRITTEN QUESTION of Raul Romeva i Rueda (Verts / ALE) to the Commission
May 16, 2008, E-2739/08Subject: Social Protest in Egypt
In recent weeks, several media have echoed the different civil society protests in Egypt, derived from the precariousness of working conditions in many sectors including industry, public transport, education, health or administration.
Thousands of people, with the support of social movements, took to the streets as a response to police action to prevent the execution of the strike in the textile factory in Al Mahalla, the largest in Egypt. Such protests have ended with the arrest of more than 800 people, among which are counted more than 150 political activists and more than 600 protesters from Al Mahalla and the leaders of the strike committee of the factory.
These facts merely to show, first, a situation of unsustainable social and working conditions, and secondly, the lack of democracy and freedoms in the country and repression by the regime of Mubarak, who has had to date with the connivance of the West.
In view of the situation and under the conditions of the EU-Egypt, with special attention to respect for human rights, what is your opinion on the Commission such news? Do not you think that police repression is clearly violating the conditions of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, in particular Article 2? Has made, or has provided the Commission any action taken, and in particular for the release of demonstrators and activists?
