Cairo , 3/11/2009
Human rights organizations and activists involved in the campaign in solidarity with Sayed ElQemany and Hassan Hanafi and against “Hesba” cases in Egypt, said that the administrative court decided to defer the case filed by a citizen requesting the ministry of culture to withdraw the State Merit prizes that have been awarded to both intellectuals, to 19/1/2010 , giving the lawyers and human rights organizations in support of freedom of thought and scientific research time to make proceedings of legal intervention on the side of Qemany and Hanafi.
The case , which was filed by a citizen in an attempt to compel the ministry of culture to withdraw the State Merit prize awarded to both researchers, has mandated the intervention of some lawyers representing human rights organizations defending freedom of thought as well as some activists, in support of the principle that no one has the right to go to court to resolve intellectual disputes. Knowing that the nomination to the prize has gone through all the legal procedures as well as voting as a last step, and that any case filed by any citizen whether being serious, being a publicity seeker or driven by animosity to freedom of thought should not be addressing intellectuals’ writings but addressing the procedural work of the nominating committee.
Ever since the campaign in solidarity with Qemany and Hanafi has started ,pioneer institutions and activists received many messages in support of this campaign, and requests to join from activists and human rights institutions in and out of Egypt, in support of freedom of thought and scientific research and against “Hesba” cases which have grown to be the most serious obstacles against freedom of opinion and expression in Egypt.
The campaign in support of intellectuals asserts on steady hard work to exhibit how “Hesba” cases are so threatening to the freedom of thought and freedom of expression in Egypt.
The campaign holds on to the principle that the discussions, vision debates, and intellectual disagreements should not be held in law courts, but rather in intellectual and cultural forums.
Resorting to courts in response to ideas, is an attempt of gagging and blacking out minds.
Pioneer organizations
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
Association For Freedom of Thought and Expression
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Al Helaly Institute for Freedoms
Bodies Joining in
Human Rights First Association – Saudi Arabia
Bahrain Youth Association For Human Rights
Bahrain Center For Human Rights
The Egyptian Center For Education Right
Tunisian Observatory For Rights And Union Freedoms
HUMANITARIAN LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS
Activists Joining in
Ibrahim Abd Al Rahman – Lawyer
Saeed Aref – Lawyer
Samir Al Bagoury – Lawyer
To Join
Please write to
or Call :
Association For Freedom of Thought and Expression: (202)33308441
Hisham Mubarak Law Center: (202) 57589082
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information: (202) 27736177
