Talaat Sadat’s trial postponed

A military tribunal postponed Talaat el-Sadat’s trial to 15 October. The late president’s nephew and member of parliament had his legal immunity lifted, and is being prosecuted on charges of “defaming” Egypt’s almighty army, after he implied there was a conspiracy involving the military and foreign intelligence services to kill his uncle.

Seven Egyptian rights watchdogs denounced the trial yesterday in a statement:

Press Release
10 October 2006
Talaat Sadat’s Statements Are Protected Speech
MP’s Military Trial Violates Constitution and International Law

Seven Egyptian human rights organizations today voiced concern over the decision to strip independent MP Talaat Sadat of his parliamentary immunity and refer him to a military court for statements he made on a television news talk show last week.
The seven rights groups said Sadat’s speculations about those responsible for assassinating his late uncle, former President Anwar Sadat, fall within the scope of the legal protection of freedom of expression guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution as well as legally binding international treaties ratified by Egypt, namely the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The organizations also condemned the decision to try Sadat before a military court and reiterated their position that civilians must have the right to a fair trial before civilian courts.
If convicted, Sadat could be sentenced to prison for up to three years. He is charged under two vaguely worded articles of the Penal Code. Article 184 criminalizes insulting “the Parliament,…,the army, courts, authorities or public institutions.” Article 102 bis of the same law punishes “the deliberate circulation of false news, information, data or rumors for the purpose of threatening public security, spreading fear amongst people or causing damage to public interests.”
The human rights groups expressed solidarity with the indicted parliamentarian and called on all supporters of abolishing imprisonment for media charges to follow suite and declare their unconditional support for freedom of expression, regardless of the content of the expressed views. Freedom of expression is a basic requirement for a democratic society and a civil state, the groups added.

Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Nonviolence Studies
Arab Network for Human Rights Information
Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Egyptian Observatory for Justice and Law
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
Nadim Center for Victims of Violence and Torture

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1. “Egypt’s rights defenders are NOT afraid of the army” at 3arabawy

   October 13, 2006 - 12:45 PM

   [...] My friend was fuming, as the NYT report totally ignored the fact that eight rights group issued a statement denouncing the trial. “We drafted this statement precisely because I didn’t want anyone, let alone the NYT, to say Egypt’s rights defenders are afraid of the army,” my friend wrote me in an email exchange. [...]

2. Talaat Sadat sentenced to one year in prison at 3arabawy

   October 31, 2006 - 11:22 AM

   [...] A military court sentenced today MP Talaat el-Sadat (nephew of Egypt’s late dictator Anwar el-Sadat) to one year in prison with hard labor, for “defaming” Egypt’s army in a TV interview where he claimed his uncle was killed in a conspiracy involving the Egyptian army, and foreign intelligence services. Eight rights group had denounced the trial saying it’s violating the right to free speech. [...]