1

2

To all freedom fighters

In and outside prison

3

These are some of the letters that came out of prison

during the period 30 June to the release of this booklet

in May 2014; examples of many letters that were leaked,

some to the eager hands of family and friends and some

straight to the media; but all of them, from the shortest

to the longest deserve their place in the documentation of

this era of the history of our country.. These are the

words of those who paid the price for their dreams,

steadfastness and their commitment to the demands of

the revolution: Bread, Freedom, Social Justice and Dignity.

These are letters about violated freedom and dignity in a

country where human rights as well as the law and the

constitution have been violated despite the few rights

included in them.

To all of them, whose letters we published and whose

letters we did not receive, a salutation to your struggle

and steadfastness, which despite the oppression,

detentions and torture, remain the most relevant and

powerful during this era of our history.

Freedom for the Brave, Freedom to all detainees

Victory to the revolution

El Nadim Center

May 2014

4

Sources of this booklet

Freedom for the Brave https://www.facebook.com/Al7oriallgd3an

A nation without torture https://www.facebook.com/elmo3zabon

Journalists against torture https://www.facebook.com/journalists.AT

El Nadim Center https://www.facebook.com/elnadeem

Not a number http://on.fb.me/1keTIX8

Revolutionary Vow https://www.facebook.com/AhdElThawra

5

I live in a prison

but

Inside I am free

6

5 October 2013

A message to human rights and of civil society organizations

The situation in prisons is as follows:

I was arrested and was unconscious from my injury. I was put in

the Dokki police station in a place approximately 5 meters square

with 30 other detainees. I felt my head bleeding for 7 hours

without any attempt to treat me or the rest of the injured ones.

After the blood of the injured covered the floor of the detaining

room and came out from it, I was transferred to the hospital in a

police car. The police officer was hurrying the doctors treating me

ni `chcmb l[jc^fs. Tb_ IV m[fch_ q[mh’n `chcmb_^ s_n [h^ b_ l_nolh_^

me back to the police station again. One of the private TV

channels video photographed me without my permission.

We were transferred at 1 am from the Dokki police station to the

camp of the central security. As we entered the military prison, the

officers and soldiers welcomed us by beating with batons, hands,

water hoses and called us the most obscene words. I was placed in

a cell 6 x 3 meters with 60 detainees, some of them were injured.

7

The toilet was outside the cell and we were allowed to use it once a

day and not all of us could use it due to our large number. Many

urinated in their clothes as the toilet was not available. Food was

unavailable (once a day), no plates or spoons. Water was filled

ih]_ [ ^[s (10 fcn_lm) [h^ q[mh’n _hioab `il [ff nb_ ^_n[ch__m. W_

would wake up every day to the sound of enticing words and songs

from the soldiers and officers.

Medicines and medical supplies were unavailable. I was supposed

to change dressings for my wound twice a day but the prison

^i]nil ^c^h’n ]ig_ _r]_jn `il nqi ^[sm ncff hiq [h^ nb_l_ q_l_h’n

enough medicines or medical tools. There were children under 18

years in the cell. No specific place for smoking. There was a lady

in the cell next to mine; her name was Nagah Hassan Mahmoud.

All of the above applies to all detainees in Egypt. I know your

mission is not easy under a regime that takes to weapons to protect

its legitimacy. But your organizations were established to defend

prisoners and their rights. I took my responsibility and conveyed

the situation to you so that you would carry your responsibility in

doing your role.

Central security camp

8

2 November

Alaa Abdel Fatah

I ^c^h’n _rj_]n nb_ _rj_lc_h]_ ni \_ l_j_[n_^

after five years, after a revolution where we

overthrew the juggernaut, I returned to his

prisons?

The memories of prison are coming back, all

the details, from the skills of sleeping on the

floor with 8 fellows in a small cell (4 x 2

meters), to the songs of the prison and the

dialogues of the criminally convicted. But I

totally fail to remember how to protect my eye glasses during

sleeping. It was crushed 3 times in one day, I realize suddenly that

it is the same glasses that accompanied me in the imprisonment (in

mifc^[lcns qcnb [ alioj i` do^a_m) ch 2006, [h^ nb[n I’g hiq

imprisoned, in custody also, on the ground of the same kind of

loose charges and the nonsense reasons of this imprisonment, the

only difference is that we replaced the prosecution of the state

security with the military prosecution; a change worthy of the

military moment that we are living.

Last time, 50 colleagues share^ g_ jlcmih `lig nb_“K_`[s[”

gip_g_hn, \on hiq I’g [fih_, 8 chhi]_hnm [l_ mb[lcha g_; nb_

guilty one of them is oppressed as the innocent.

Am miih [m nb_s eh_q nb[n I’g `lig “nb_ sionb i` l_pifoncih”, nb_s

started cursing the revolution and how it failed ih “l_mnl[chcha”

the ministry of interior. I spent the first 2 days only listening to

stories of torture on the hands of the police which insists on not

being reformed, but takes revenge for its defeat over the bodies of

the poor ones, the innocent and the guilty ones.

From their stories I realized the great achievements of the return

of security. 2 of my colleagues see the police stations and prisons

9

for the first time, normal youth without a shred of violence and

their charges? Organizing a gang! Yes, Abo Malak alone is

accused of leading an armed gang. Now I know what the ministry

of interior means by the daily news it publishes about the

gangsters. Good for us that security is back.

In the few hours that the sun light enters the always dark cell, we

read what is carved on the walls by a former colleague by a

beautiful Arabic handwriting, 4 walls from the ground to the

ceiling covered with Quran, prayers and thoughts and what

appears like an extreme desire in repentance.

The next day we discover in a corner the date of the execution of a

colleague, and we all cry.

Tb_ aocfns jf[h ni l_j_hn, \on nb_ chhi]_hn ^ih’n ehiq qb[n ni ^i

to avoid the same destiny.

Ms gch^ q[h^_lm [q[s `lig nb_g [h^ fcmn_hm ni nb_ a_h_l[f’m

speech in the radio during the inauguration of the longest flag in

the world, the one that will of course be recorded in Guinness

record. I wonder: is the pushing of the name of the martyr Mina

Daniel as one of the accused in my case a record in impertinence?

Based on the fact that they are the first to murder the person and

not only walk in his funeral but also spit on his corpse and accuse

him of the crime? Or maybe this cell will make a record in the

hog\_l i` ]i]eli[]b_m? A\io M[f[e chn_llojnm gs c^_[m: “I

mq_[l ni Gi^ c` sio ^c^h’n ^i domnc]_ ni the oppressed, this

l_pifoncih qcff hin mo]]__^”.

The third day, 1/11/2011

Cell 19, appeal prison, Bab El Khalk.

http://bit.ly/1lE3dP2

10

15 November 2013

SOS from detainees in cell number (3) at Helwan police station:

We the political detainees in cell number (3) in Helwan police station

for a period of time approaching 3 months are asking you to take the

responsibility of our lives in front of God, we are in continuous torture,

we swear that we are dying slowly in a way that no one can imagine

except those with us or in similar situations. So we put in your hands

what we are facing so that the responsibility lies on everyone in front of

God starting from praying God for us to end our misery and taking all

the means to get us out from the torture we are facing. This is the facts

between your hands.

1. Helwan police station has four cells; their area is between 4 and 6

meters so they could accommodate 20 people (maximum).

2. We the inmates in cell (3) are 60 people and sometimes more, half

are political detainees and the rest are convicted criminals which

mean continuous smoking, fights and cursing.

11

3. The room temperature now reaches 50C and more in summer and

so it is turning into a human oven.

4. Entering the bathroom is by lines (only one bathroom).

5. We sleep in shifts (one from every four sleeps alternately).

6. No food, drinks, or medical items are given to us.

7. Books are forbidden, as well as the newspapers, and the radio. The

sun is a dream; the cell phone is crime that exposes its owner to

beating, dragging and breaking the cell phone and taking it away.

8. Visits are very limited and last for only a minute or two maximum

(to take food and at some times visits are not allowed to enter due to

the large number).

9. The crawling insects around us are transforming (cockroaches

became mosquitoes and flees became spiders) insecticides are not

allowed.

10. Insomnia, psychological and physical pain and crying are all

around us.

11. The voice of torturing the convicts breaks our hearts and brings

tears to our eyes.

This is part of a whole and a drop in a shower of sadness (feeling

oppressed- fear for our children- lack of money).

Wb[n cm l_ko_mn_^ `lig _p_ls bihil[\f_ j_lmih qbi ^i_mh’n []]_jn

injustice:

1. Applying pressure on the commands of the monastery of interior to

change the situations of the political detainees in general and in

Helwan police station specifically.

2. Applying pressure on prosecutors and the organizations of human

rights to visit and inspect the police stations and prisons.

3. Publish our misery in the media and in every way to change our

situation and end our torture.

4. Pressuring the judiciary system to end our suffering and take back

our rights.

5. Praying and supplicating for God to take away this harm and this is

nb_ f_[mn nbcha, ^ih’n ^_jlcp_ us from it.

Your brothers in preventive detention

12

30 December Ahmed Gamal

I’g ie. Tb[he Gi^. Dih’n qills [\ion g_.

Dih’n f_n [hsih_ `lig big_ ]ig_ ni g_.

I ^ih’n q[hn sio ni \inb_l siolm_fp_m

I’g ch nb_ m[g_ ]_ff nb[n nb_ b_li “K[fio]b[” q[m ch

Don't worry about me

Nothing will break Gemy

13

January 3 Mohamed Mokhtar; EL-Azhar Student, 6 April movement, one of the “café detainees”

“A l_pifoncih [ff ip_l [a[ch”

The people want the regime

down..

Down down Hosni Mubarak..

Bread, freedom, social justice,

human dignity”

Yes these are the slogans of

the new revolution. This might

surprise some as they were the slogans of the January 2011

revolution. Slogans that have been there for three years but, the

unfortunate truth is that we are back to point zero.

We are back to point zero but we lost a lot.. thousands of

g[lnslm„nbiom[h^m i` chdol_^.. nbiom[h^m i` ^_n[ch__m..nbiom[h^m

of mothers whose hearts died with the death of their sons-millions

whose living, social, economic and moral state got worse because

of what happened from failure, stupidity and betrayal in the post

revolution period.

Down down Hosni Mubarak.. Some might think that Mubarak

means a single person!!

Egypt has millions of Hosni Mubarak represented in the

administrative apparatus of the state, in the state organizations, in

the sovereignty apparatuses of the state. This is the biggest crime

that the believers of the revolution of 25 January have fallen for

when the revolution ignorantly or stupidly took a certain path that

leads to pr_m_lpcha Himhc Mo\[l[e “nb_ l_acg_” [h^ a_nncha ni

point zero after a period of time estimated by 3 years and after all

the sacrifices that were made.

14

When the ministry of interior was able to go back to its oppressive

role again.. when the security of the state returned again to its

terrorizing role.. when the media went back to its deceptive role

again..when the judiciary system is back to being politicized.. here

we are back to point zero once again.. but can we resist?? Can we

start all over again?? Can we launch?? Can we save what is left

from our homeland and from the future..??

The chance is in front of us and in front of everyone in this

society..the chance is in front of the rightist and leftist..the liberal,

islamist, socialist..the chance is in front of the politicians and the

non-politicized ones.. in front of workers, peasants, and

students..the chance is in front of everyone..either we stand facing

injustice and oppression.. in front of poverty, ignorance, and

sickness. Our beliefs will not leave us, they are entrenched in our

minds and mixed with our blood.

Everybody must learn the lesson.. stop the fighting.. stop being

stubborn.. stop betraying us.

If you agree to stay like this we will not..who tried the taste of

freedom will never be satisfied with something else..

Let us know that as long as we are united we will stand together

and that we will fall if we stand apart. It is then that the unjust,

oppressive and corrupt surpass and the ignorance, illness and

poverty win.

We either dream for a better future, one that is worthy of Egypt

and its status, that satisfies the ambitions and dreams of the

sacrifices of martyrs or else we, our country and the future fall.

15

Let us go back to our square with its real image so we can make

the difference and lead the real change, we the youth, to get to our

homeland, the land of freedom, dignified living, social justice and

human dignity.

Prison has never changed an idea, oppression has never delayed

tomorrow, and injustice could never build a country

Am fiha [m nb_ Easjnc[h \fii^ cm ]b_[j„^iqh ^iqh qcnb [hs

president

http://bit.ly/Q0pqgo

16

January 5

Ayat Hamada: Kanater prison

I am ok thank God, determined and free whatever happens. If I

got sentenced 15 days or a year, I will remain free no matter what.

No one worries about me or the other girls with me. I was beaten

and dragged just for defending a girl and the same happened to

[hinb_l aclf `il ^_`_h^cha g_. Dih’n `ila_n nb_ ohehiqh ^_n[ch__.

The prisons are full of free people.

17

January 25

Hussein Ibrahim Alaa El Din (Alazbakeia 25 January)

We did them wrong and the worm is witness

After we were dressed in blue and were gathered in three cells in

the floor of the convicts as we were distributed in 13 cells with the

rest of the cases in the floor of investigation, one of our friends,

who was my neighbor in the floor of investigation (as I was in cell

6 and he was in 5) found a worm looking like the silkworm, but

thinner and more brown in color. He showed it to me as it was

inside a closed bottle of water. He decided to raise it. I asked him:

what will you call her? He said you mean call him, it is a he, and

I’ff ][ff bcg “tii\if” [`n_l bcm oh]f_.

Uncle? Who is his uncle?

18

He told me that they found a similar worm in cell 5 and called it

zoobol and raised it the same way in a bottle of water and that it

lived for more than 50 days in this water.

I asked zoobol while he was inside the bottle how can he live in

mo]b q[n_l nb[n q_ ^ih’n ^lche, as it is undrinkable and not good

[h^ nb[n q_ mo``_l_^ [ fin `ilg. Zii\if ^c^h’n [hmq_l g_. Nin

\_][om_ b_ ^c^h’n ][l_ \on \_][om_ qilgm ^ih’n n[fe ([ ^_`chcn_

scientific fact)

This made me think. Maybe the water is good. The prison warden

told us that the water inside the prison is better than outside and

that we were and still are drinking it, and q_ ^c^h’n ^c_. Zoobol

fcp_^ ch nb[n q[n_l [h^ ^c^h’n ^c_.

I think the water is really good. We did them wrong and acted like

victims. We have to apologize to the ministry of interior and to the

department of prisons and to the whole state for being unjust to

them and we have to thank them for their care concerning the

water we drink. If zoobol could talk he would thank them.

A question that might have crossed your mind while you are

reading (what is the source of the worms?)

The answer: the water itself

19

January 26

Peter Griesty 48 years, Australian nationality, used to work as a journalist in the BBC before he joined Aljazeera international network and is detained in Cairo, he was arrested with two of his colleagues on December 30 charged by “holding illegal meetings with the banned Muslim brotherhood group”

“I q[m [`l[c^ ni qlcn_ nb_m_ f_nn_lm mi I qiof^h’n a_n ]lo_ffs

johcmb_^”.. I `__f qillc_^ [m I qlcn_ hiq. I [g ch [ cold cell after

the first official session of investigation. Four whole hours in a

room in a building that lies behind the prison during which I had

no right in anything..I decided to get out of my silence and risk

writing despite my fear of being punished by taking away my books

and pens away from me. I want to protect my pens and books as

much as I want my freedom back. So till now I had decided to

overcome my imprisonment from within by trying to show the

authorities that they are making a big mistake ah^ nb[n I’g [

victim of a political conflict that I am not related to. But after 2

weeks in prison it became clear that my silence is a decision that

puts me in danger, it is not only silence about the violations

against me and my colleagues but also against the right to freedom

of expression. And now my books have become less important. "

Journalists should not themselves become the story, and apart

`lig nb_ \li[^][mn_l’m mcah-off, we are supposed only to stay as a

witness to or agents for the news. We are not supposed to be its

subject.

20

And this is what made all the attention that is happening regarding

iol ^_n_hncih qillscha `il g_. Bon nbcm ^i_mh’n g_[h nb[n I’g hin

grateful. Those who were arrested during the raid by the ministry

of interior in December 29 that involved the crew of Aljazeera

channel, are all filled with extreme enthusiasm and feel grateful

for the great support that they got from all over the world. From a

letter signed by 46 of the most respectable and impressive

journalists in the region demanding our immediate release to a

petition presented by Australian colleagues, all those written

letters, campaigns launched on the internet and also the media

conferences that are organized from those I consider our families,

I feel humbled by the huge support that we got and that provided

us with strength.

We know we are not alone.

But the annoying thing is that we are starting our 4th week since

our detention because of a journal report that looks a pretty usual

one to me.

I have been looking at a lot of work that contains detailed

investigations and real risks that took us a lot of effort to the extent

that I wished it was these reports that made the authorities angry,

however, these reports passed without any response from them.

The assignment I had in Cairo is to some extent was a routine one;

it is a chance to understand the Egyptian politics in a better way.

But after only 3 weeks at work on the ground, I could do nothing

but stand still. So when a squad of policemen in civilian clothes

forced their way into my room, at first I was a little confused then

[ fcnnf_ [hhis_^ nb[n cn q[mh’n `il [ gil_ mcahc`c][hn nbcha.

Tbcm mbiof^h’n j[mm ohhinc]_^; nb_ `[]n nb[n q_ [l_ ^_n[ch_^

because of some reports seems controversial and is telling us a lot

a\ion qb[n cm ]ihmc^_l_^ “hilg[f” [h^ qb[n cm ]ihmc^_l_^

dangerous in Egypt after the revolution.

21

Just a routine report

Tb_ [ff_a[ncihm q_ [l_ `[]cha `il mol_ ^ih’n _rjl_mm [hsnbcha nb[n

we did except the normal journal efforts, the country accused me

and the directors Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed that we

are collaborating with the muslim brotherhood in using unlicensed

equipments to broadcast information that we know are false and

[l_ chmofncha ni Easjn’m l_jon[ncih [h^ qilem ih mb[echa cnm

stability, in addition to the fact that Fahmy and Baher are further

accused of being muslim brotherhood members. What I stated is

exactly what is written in the police report of investigations which

is if not seriously dangerous then it is nothing but a silly nonsense

allegation.

I [g e__h ih m__cha nb_ “_pc^_h]_” nb[n cm \_cha jl_j[l_^ `il om

by the investigators to prove these allegations, but till today they

b[p_h’n `ilg[ffs ]b[la_^ om qcnb [hs ]lcg_. W_ [l_ mcgjfs mncff ch

detention to give them more time to assemble the case so the public

prosecutor can decide if this case is strong enough to go to court or

not. And under the Egyptian judicial system we will not be allowed

to look at the file of the case until the charges are formally laid.

What we did was just the routine form of the press report about the

political drama going on around us, and what it might mean for

Egypt. The fact that this report put us behind bars is worrying

especially in the light of the historic moment that Egypt is living.

The temporarily government that came after the protests went out

in the streets of Egypt and the pressure that the army did to push

president Mohamed Morsi, the first president that comes by

democratic elections in Egypt, from power. What the Muslim

brotherhood see as a military coup, the government supporters see

that what happened with a little help from the army, is considered

toppling the regime that failed to keep its promises in being

moderate, and that caused widespread resentment, and took strict

22

measures against its opposition, and was dragging Egypt to a

closed theocratic rule.

The Egyptians passed a very liberal constitution defending the

revolution, which defends in its amendments freedom of

expression, to the extent that the 11th

amendment states that it

protects the journalists from being arrested because of the

broadcast and publishing crimes.

I have no desire to harm Egypt

But what is considered as a breach of the law in this case is

relative, where anything far beyond the reasonable limits is a

threat to tb_ ]iohnls, biq_p_l, q_ ^c^h’n ]limm nbim_ fcgcnm ch iol

report.

After 20 years from working as a foreign correspondent I can

l_]iahct_ nb_ m[`_ fcgcnm, \on q_ ^c^h’n fim_ iol q[s ni _p_h ]ig_

close near its edge.

It looks like the country in this case is in an existential struggle

with some blooming forces of good represented in the free society

`[]cha nb_ cmf[gcmnm “n_llilcmnm” nb[n [l_ mncff mnloaafcha ni n[e_

control.

Ih nbcm _hpclihg_hn qb[n q[m ]ihmc^_l_^ [m “hilg[f mcno[ncih” cm

shifting far from nb_ gil_ qc^_fs []]_jn_^ “gi^_l[n_” nb[n iol

work is suddenly threatening.

We were not the only ones in our report, but our detention played

the role of a warning terrifying message to others to let them know

where this middle is.

Ih nbcm “h_q hilg[f mcno[ncih”, m_]of[l []ncpcmnm [l_ ^_n[ch_^,

some of them are in prison with me, they have been imprisoned at

least 3 times: first for opposing the oppressive regime of the

deposed president Hosni Mubarak, the second for protesting

against the abuses of the Muslim \linb_lbii^ l_acg_ nb[n ^c^h’n

last, and now because of what they are saying about the brutal

[\om_m i` nb_ ]oll_hn l_acg_. Sig_ g_g\_lm ch nb_ ][gj[cah “hi

23

`il nb_ ]igcha ]ihmncnoncih” [l_ ch jlcmih \_][om_ nb_s q_l_

jonncha jimn_lm “hi ni ]ihmncnoncih” fce_ [hsih_ ][oabn n[echa j[ln

in a protest against the Muslim brotherhood which is now declared

[m [ “n_llilcmn ila[hct[ncih”.

Ih nbcm “h_q hilg[f” mcno[ncih ih_ i` nb_ ch^_j_h^_hn

organizations reckons that the number of detainees reached 21

thousands in 5 months since Morsi was ousted on June 30, and

2665 were murdered and almost 16000 were injured during the

same period. Of course among the detained are journalists

including ourselves accused of supporting terrorism and

undermining the state.

Let me clarify something for you, I have no desire in weakening

Egypt or in seeing it suffer in anyway. I also have no interest in

supporting any group, the Muslim brotherhood or otherwise. But it

seems that we are not arrested because of our work. It is the state’m

way to show what it considers normal and acceptable and that any

person who applauds the state is safe and deserves to be free and

anything else is a threat and must be totally crushed.

Written on 21-1-2014

http://bit.ly/1rnTlum

24

January 27

Emad Abdel Hameed

I ^ih’n ehiq qbs I [g ch jlcmih. I

^c^h’n ecff, ^_mnlis, mn_[f il ]illojn

the country!

I’g ch ]omni^s [m [ johcmbg_hn..

We know how many of us are going

to be released even before we go to

nlc[f! I ^ih’n ehiq qbat is the

benefit from transferring us for 6

hours to go to the court! And what

is the importance of the tiring the lawyers, judges and the

country?! The beautiful thing is that people who had possessions

are released as well as people belonging to the muslim

brotherhood group! As usual our country is distinguished in

accuracy, justice and efficient security!

I’g m[scha nb[n q_ a_n ion `lig b_l_ [h^ nb_ ]iohnls jlipc^_m

business contracts for the youth to work outside Egypt and that we

all emigrate and leave it to those who stand in lines for the

referendum and for the honorable citizens, this is a solution that

will save a lot of expenses for Egypt, the expenses of our food and

drink in prisons. The cart that is supposed to carry garbage is

carrying our food due to shortage of money!! For how is the

country supposed to provide us with money!! I will not say that I

hate the country; the thing is that my country has specific

characters.

It is normal in my country that I get arrested for no charge or

possessions and stay in prison for a month. And normal in my

country that I get beaten and tortured and that all my face bleeds

25

and my back gets beaten with the back of the weapons because

nb_s nbche I’g [ traitor and an agent!!

It is normal in my country to get in prison and get forced to strip

naked in the cold and crawl on the floor in the middle of the

cheers of the psychos..! And it is normal that they recommend that

I get abused because of my beliefs and sit for 2 hours facing the

wall in addition to the insults, humiliations, threats and the

psychological terror! As the police officer/// told me you Emad will

no longer be useful for anything! My imprisonment is renewed

over and over. They told me that this is my fate and that the first 5

years are the difficult ones.

And before I forget I would like to tell you that 2 or 3 years ago no

one could have been able to do this to us and we would stand still

and do nothing.

Search for our weak points and treat them because it is still a long

way to go.

26

January 29 Karim El Beheiry

I was assigned by the AL Badeel

newspaper to cover the marches in

October as it was near my house. In

the 25th i` J[ho[ls [n 9 i’]fi]e I

left my house and started reporting

to the newspaper the security

measures infront of the city of

media production and then I

headed to Al Hosary square to

cover the march that was supposed

to start form the mosque after Al

Dohr prayers.

And during my presence I had an interview with one of the officers

about the security preparations for the demonstration and then

went back to the mosque where I heard a group of people saying

nb[n nb_ ^_gihmnl[ncih [n Af Him[ls [h^ nb_ gimko_ “Eg[^

R[ab_\” [l_ `[e_ ih_m [h^ nb[n nb_ l_[f ih_ qcff \_ [n “Amq[h”

square in the 10th

district so I informed the newspaper and went to

“Amq[h” mko[l_ [h^ [n 12 [n hiih [n nb_ ncg_ i` nb_

demonstration there was only 10 persons and then suddenly dozens

started joining and the protest went on for minutes then turned

into a march and when I asked about their destination

Some of nb_ j[lnc]cj[hnm m[c^ nb_s ^ih’n ehiq nb_ ^_mnch[ncih, I

kept walking near them to know what is going on and report to the

newspaper.

The security forces started coming and fired a hail of tear gas and

then the shooting started from unknown places. I started noticing

armed masked groups with. I immediately I informed the

27

newspaper with what I noticed. When the intensity of the clashes

increased, it was difficult to continue reporting what was

happening because I was severely suffocating from the tear gas, in

addition to shooting that was in my direction, coming from sources

I did not recognize.

As I was trying to move I found an old man screaming so I tried to

calm him down and keep him away from the field of shooting. I

told him that I am a journalist and suddenly a hail of shooting

started in our direction so we ran to a square of building. The man

asked me to go up to his apartment which is to my surprise was in

the second floor in the building that we took as a refuge to protect

us from the shooting.

After half an hour the shooting stopped so I asked the man to leave

but as I was on the stairs I was surprised by dozens of masked

i``c]_lm. I nif^ nb_g I’g [ diolh[fcmn [h^ mbiq_^ nb_g gs qile ID

but they brutally assaulted me all the way to the police car. The

process of assault continued then I was put in the police car and

they took away my personal and work ID, two cell phones with 3

SIM cards, a silver wedding ring, and 225 Egyptian pounds. When

I found a police general and an officer of investigations I tried to

[me `il nb_cl b_fj [h^ nif^ nb_g I’g [ diolh[fcmn, \on nb_s “]olm_^

g_” qcnb nb_ gimn i\m]_h_ qil^cha [h^ I q[m nl[hm`_ll_^ ni jifc]_

car and all the way I was attacked by arms and batons from the

police.

I was put in a car filled with young people mostly at 17, I was

transferred to police station October 2 along with 46 accused and

another round of assault started but more brutal than what had

happened in the street before. 46 were pulled away and

photographed beside what is supposed to be firearms and

molotoves and when I was asked to be photographed next to them I

28

l_`om_^ [h^ nif^ nb_ i``c]_l g[h[acha nb_ jifc]_ mn[ncih nb[n I’g [

diolh[fcmn [h^ ^ih’n ehiq [hsnbcha [\ion nb_m_ q_[jihm [h^ nb[n

I will not be photographed next to them no matter what happens.

Ih l_mjihm_ I q[m \lon[ffs [mm[ofn_^ ncff [ “mn[n_ m_]olcns” i``c]_l

brought me to a private office and started interrogating me about

my relation with 6 April movement and the movement of the

revolutionary socialists refusing to be convih]_^ nb[n I’g [

journalist and that I was in a business mission in October and that

my work ID proves this and that I am ready to call the newspaper

mi nb_s qiof^ ]ih`clg qb[n I’g m[scha, \on b_ l_`om_^ [h^ e_jn

interrogating me for an hour.

I was transferred to a central security camp at the kilo 10.5 on the

Cairo Alex road where I and another 46 were welcomed by around

10 soldiers and officers forcing us to face the wall and to undress

completely except from our underwear. The soldiers brutally

attacked us for half an hour or more then were placed in a cell

where 71 detainees were placed while it was only fit for 20.

At 2 am I was surprised to find a soldier calling for me and

another 4, we were taken to a room in the camp getting assaulted

by the soldiers all the way, we were blind folded and an

interrogation started by the same officer that was in October police

station till 6 am in the middle of brutal assaults by soldiers that

involved again stripping us from our clothes. The main core of the

interrog[ncih q[m nb[n I q[m []]om_^ \s \_cha [ “g_g\_l i` nb_

Muslim \linb_lbii^”, I [mmol_^ bcg nb[n I q[m [ “f_`ncmn” mi b_

said I belonged to 6 April and the revolutionary socialists, I told

him this is not true and also that it is not an accusation. He started

[mecha g_ [\ion “Abg_^ M[b_l”, “Eml[[ A\^_f F[nn[b” [h^ nb_

diolh[fcmn “H_mb[g Fio[^” [h^ nb_ f[qs_l “H[cnb[g

Mib[g_^__h” [h^ nb_ f[qs_l “M[lq[ F[lioe” [h^ mig_ inb_lm,

nb_h b_ mn[ln_^ ko_mncihcha g_ [\ion “Amm_g Af M[a_^” [h^

29

other members of the muslim brotherhood whose numbers were

written in my personal journal index, so I told him that I am a

journalist and that I must have numbers of sources and told him

that this index contains phone numbers of some activists, officers

and military experts..

Why ask about those? The answer was attacking me and telling me

nb[n I q[mh’n [ diolh[fcmn [h^ nb[n nb_ h_qmj[j_l nb[n I’g m[scha I

work for denied knowing me. I said this was impossible because

work ID proves it in addition to the fact that I was in a business

mission. The response was beating and insulting. In the morning I

q[m l_nolh_^ ni gs ]_ff \on I ]iof^h’n mf__j \_][om_ cn q[m ]liq^_^

fce_ “[ ][h i` m[l^ch_m”.

At 12 noon in 26 January I was seen by the prosecutor who came

to the camp. I told him all the above, but he said we will wait for

the investigations that will be ready tomorrow however I was

surprised to be imprisoned 15 days pending investigations

although I was in a work mission.

3 days passed each one we were insulted, my medicines that help

me breathe as I have a severe asthma were not allowed and I

]iof^h’n mf__j \_][om_ i` nb_ ip_l]liq^cha ch ih_ ]_ff qbc]b g[^_

us sleep alternately. The strange thing is that the prosecutor

refused to refer me to the forensic doctor although I told him that I

was brutally attacked and he saw it with his own eyes.

I am now waiting for the justice of law but it seems that it is

broken and in the refrigerators and that the time of fabricating

charges is back that turned a journalist doing his job to an accused

by having weapons, Mifinip’m, [h^ b[h^g[^_ \ig\m, [m c` I’g [

terrorist although all what was found with me were cell phones,

“chb[f_l”, qile ID [h^ gs iqh gih_s.

30

The important thing is that what I saw in the camp is a disaster;

the place of my detention is illegal where torture is brutally

executed. College students and citizens who did nothing and

without belonging to any group are placed in this camp..Their only

charge is that they have grown their beards although they refuse

the Muslim brotherhood and are moderates however they are

[]]om_^ \s \_cha “l_fcaciom”.

At the same time there are convicted criminals who had more

mercy for us more than the police who asked them to assault us,

but they gave us medicines to treat us from the squeal of torture,

this is apart from children at 17 who by accident were in the street

during breaking up a demonstration and who they know nothing

[\ion jifcnc]m _r]_jn cnm h[g_. I` I’g ^_mnch_^ ni fcp_ fiha_l, I qcff

write and write about my diaries in the camp of at 10.5 kilo.

Thursday 29 January 2014

Abdel Karim El Beheiry Abdel Karim

Khiqh [m “K[lcg Ef B_b_cls”

http://bit.ly/1mXH8vJ

31

February 19 Karim El Beheiry About the central security camp at kilo 10.5 after the second renewal of his imprisonment for another 15 days

“Dc[lc_m i` [ ^_n[ch__”

We all stood against the attempts to politicize the judiciary and this

was one of the most important reasons of the revolution against

the regimes of Mubarak and Morsi which tried to control the

judges and change their verdicts to political ones according to the

whim of the regime, I used to think that by the falling of the ousted

president Mohamed Morsi that the judiciary is back to being

independent, and I deeply believed it, but I was shocked when I

was arrested, as well as, dozens on 25 January in the middle of

fabricating accusations and brutal attacks and torture that seemed

systematic as it was during the time Mubarak ruled. I thought we

were the only arrested ones but I was shocked to find that the camp

of the security forces at kilo 10.5 in October city where I was

detained had another 300 detainees most of them innocent from

the charges fabricated for them. For 25 days I heard the stories of

32

a lot of then more than once to make sure they were honest, and

nbcm cm nb_ l_jiln_l’m q[s i` ehiqcha nb_ nlonb.

My second shock was not only in their stories but that when most

of them were seen by the prosecution and the magistrate more

than once, the decision was to imprison them, the thing which

changed the case into a political decision and not a lawful one,

because when I saw the charges and the accused people I was

determined that any judge who will look up these cases will release

those detainees and imprison the officers who fabricated the

charges to take revenge for the independence of the judiciary and

justice that he will carry the responsibility of applying them on

earth but it seems that this is just a dream, I try in this article to

talk about some of what we suffer from during the day in prison.

Our day starts always by opening the cells at around 9 am to get

everyone out from the cell where people slept over each other like

a can of sardines. The cells are opened after the detainees scream

asking to go the bathroom, and the response to their screams is

usually insults and humiliation from the soldiers and officers, then

all the detainees start getting out to the bathroom like a flock of

birds during the season of immigration, everyone stand in a line in

front of 3 bathrooms, 2 of which were built at the expenses of the

detainees because there was only one before, and by the time this

line is finished it is time for the noon prayers so the line starts

again to wash to get ready for praying in front of 2 basins one of

them also built on the expenses of the detainees.

Food comes at 2 pm, it is formed from 2 dishes, one contains rice

and the other cooked vegetables and this is the only meal during

the day presented to the detainee and if you want to eat something

else during the day you either go to one of the fellows and ask for

food if he has stored some from his visits, or buy bad sandwiches

`lig nb_ “][hn__h” i` nb_ jlcmih, nb_ gih_s i` qbc]b ai_m ^cl_]nfs

33

to the officers pockets. The detainees spend all day reading Quran

or allowed novels because political books are forbidden or they

stay together telling stories about their lives and in the middle of

all this prayers and the daily journeys looking for food or

medicines or air to breath.

As there is no food or medicine-even if it was a life or death

matter- or covers except if your family brought you, even the air

suction machine that renews the air to give some space to breath

[h^ nb[n q[m \ioabn \s gih_s ]iff_]n_^ `lig nb_ ^_n[ch__m b[mh’n

been installed till now, and if one of us gets suffocated, he would

be transferred outside the cell to the place of visiting area to take

mig_ `l_mb [cl [h^ nb_h ]ig_ \[]e, hi ^i]nilm _r]_jn Gi^’m

mercy.

The day ends with the detainees collecting the garbage of the

whole day and swipe the prison with water and dettol. 2 lucky ones

volunteer to get the garbage outside the cells and they are lucky

because will smell some fresh air not like the polluted air we

breathe from, then comes the time when the officers come to make

sure that no one escaped-although this is impossible- and this is a

daily routine and of course is not free from some insulting and

cursing our mothers and sometimes brutal beating if someone

caused any mood disturbance for the officer.

The prison consists of 4 small cells each takes 11 person although

it fits for 4 only in addition to 5 large cells each one contains

around 87 person during the overcrowding times and 75 in

luxurious times if not more according to the mood of the officer,

and the strange thing is that these cells fit for 20 person maximum,

and here comes the merciful act from the officer when he gets 25

person from the cells out to sleep in the bathrooms.

34

After the prisoner check is over it is usually around 1 am, the

detainees pray and sleep which is a very difficult and torturing

process like performing an open heart operation without

anesthesia because of the overcrowded number. This is what

usually happens on daily and regular basis apart from sometimes

qb_h ih_ i` nb_ i``c]_l’m gii^ a_nm ^cmnol\_^ [h^ ^_]c^_m ni \lchg

one of the detainees to have fun in a process of humiliation,

assault and mockery till his mood is better.

The only day that the detainees stood up was when one of the

officers insulted a detainee and tried to tie him in handcuffs to be

beaten by the soldiers, the rest of the detainees started shouting

freedom and banged heavily on the cell walls by their hands till the

officers stepped back from the trial of assault that is brutal most of

the time.

But the next day there were threats for all the detainees that if this

happened again the response will be throwing tear gas inside the

]_ffm, nb_ nbcha nb[n ^c^h’n n_llc`s om [hs gil_, [m q_ ^[cfs `ilg 4

am-9 am live in the middle of soldiers shouting during their

training and shooting and their training on using tear gas the

smell of which reaches the cells and we smell it to the extent that

we started feeling that we became addicted to.

The detainees here are children, students, university professor,

journalists, doctors, engineers, company owners and workers.. etc,

also a small number of prisoners accused by possessing drugs or

weapons or charged by murder and who were there before we

came, the strange thing is that if their stories are published it will

expose and disgrace another face of the corruption of the police

officers, but those prisoners refuse the idea of publishing any word

from their stories fearing that other charges will be fabricated for

them.

35

All detainees from children to old men were tortured in different

methods as severe beating or electrocuting. The detained would

stand on water or get stripped naked, beaten and threatened to be

rapped or to arrest their families along with some insults including

the cursing which is the usual.

I want to write about a lot of stories in details to show the extent of

savagery and fabrication that the apparatuses of police and state

security are back to, but I will keep these stories to the next article

c` cn q[mh’n n[e_h [q[s `lig g_ [m q_ b_l_ qlcn_ \_bch^ nb_ \[]e

of the jailer because if he finds written paper or numbers he reads

them and then cruelly cuts them, and usually the one who wrote

them gets a full session of assault.

Before I end my article I want to remind you of some of the

charges that face the detainees whose age varies from 15 to 75

years. Some of these charges are possessing weapons, bombs,

masks or yeast, breaking the glass of a plane, stealing an

armored/tank, killing or attempt of killing police officers, or

possession of slogans or the Palestinian scarf.

The strange thing is that facing these charges are according to

whether the detained is bearded or not, many were arrested just for

being bearded, or children and young people who by coincidence

their houses or working places were in the places of the

demonstration, or they were arrested during having a meal in one

of the restaurants or during sitting in one of the cafes.

Kareem El Beheiry

Prison of the camp of the central security at kilo 10.5

http://bit.ly/1g0xk2E

36

February 16 (published 19 February) Omar Hazek Sentenced to 2 years and a fine of 50 thousand pounds for participating in a rally during the retrial of the Khaled Said case. The letter was written after rejection of his appeal.

I’g _rj[h^cha nb_ mj[]_ i` gs `l__^ig [h^ bog[hcns.

I know that my friends are few, and I owe them, to salute them, to

tell them that I miss you my friends, my brothers in freedom and in

the love of this poor country, the country whose freemen revolt to

defend love, let us say love of life, to make the poor love the life

more, the ignorant love life more and the criminals love life more,

[h^ ehiq [\ion nb_ fip_ ch cn nb[n nb_s ^c^h’n ehiq \_`il_.

I write for you in the evening of 16/2/2014 after the judge affirmed

the sentence of 2 years in prison and a fine of 50,000 pounds. Let

g_ n_ff sio: hi ih_ _rj_]n_^ nbcm p_l^c]n, \on I’g b[jjs qcnb gs

life in prison.

37

In early December I was planning to travel a long vacation outside

Alexandria, to see a new world, and get open to a new life, and feel

the human beina ch [ ^c``_l_hn q[s, [h^ nbcm cm _r[]nfs qb[n I’g

doing now, at a deeper level than what I was planning.

In the last months I felt so sad from all the fakeness and hypocrisy

in our society, and I noticed that a lot of our human relations are

false and based on complementation, with no depth. My colleagues

at work know that for months I refused to share in any celebration,

and asked not to celebrate any occasion concerning me, even with

a bouquet of flowers. I testify that here I live a real life with no

fakeness. No fakeness in prison, there is no meaning here for

people to fight to stay alive, and no one here has any desire to

compliment another prisoner.

In prison I found who thinks and work hard to make his life more

beautiful and easier, who smiles for me in a doubtless brotherly

and loving way. While I told some of my friends who shocked me

months ago that human relationships should not be disrupted

because life separates people in a cruel way, suddenly and with no

introductions and people begin to regret when it is of no use. And

this is what happened.

My brothers in freedom and in the love of this country that is

rising and tottering, rising with us and getting kicked by their feet,

I want to tell you; I asked myself a lot when I had the first verdict:

what does it mean that I protest against beating a protestor and

nb_h a_n mo]b [ m_hn_h]_? Tb_ nlonb cm nb[n I’g nin[ffs cmif[n_^ ch

jlcmih, I ^c^h’n ehiq [\ion nb_ \_[onc`of mifc^[lcns qcnb g_ _r]_jn

f[n_fs. Im cn qilnb cn? I n_ff sio s_m. Oh_ ^i_mh’n get a chance to

develop his humanity and expand the space of his freedom except

by paying a price; I mean a real price, a painful one that makes me

38

feel that I bought my freedom and value as a human being in its

full price.

When I arrived at the Hadra prison, I arranged my few things, and

washed to get ready to pray, the water was freezing that I was

shivering from its coldness, and I felt so sad; how can I shower

here with such freezing water? In the next day I was going to be

seen by the judge of investigations, and I wished deeply to be

l_f_[m_^ [h^ b[p_ nb_ ][m_ ]fim_^ (nbcm q[m 2 gihnbm [ai). I ^c^h’n

imagine that day how I was going to live and shower with such

water and the cell was extremely cold, and I had to take a shower

every day because of the nature of this prison. The judge sentenced

me 15 days in custody pending investigations and I lived a night

nb[n I qih’n `ila_n, nb_h I ^_]c^_^ ni n[e_ [ mbiq_l _p_ls day. The

water was cut off and I sat nervously waiting for it till it was back

and I tooe [ mbiq_l [h^ _h^ol_^ nb_ ]if^, I ^c^h’n \_fc_p_ nb[n I

overcame this in a strong and simple way, I kept having a shower

daily with the freezing water till I was transferred to the permanent

cell which had a boiler (kettle) to make tea and hot water before

showering, however I kept showering with cold water, I noticed

that it refreshes me and awakens all my senses. I knew my life

changed since this moment till the last moment in it. Nothing is

impossible. At the beginning I faced problems like this every day,

and moment by moment I overcame them till they are gone. Now I

finished a big part of a new novel that I have been thinking about

\_`il_ I q_hn ni jlcmih, I mn[ln_^ cn b_l_ [h^ I’g b[jjs qcnb cn.

Around 10 days ago I got the first printed copy of my nip_f “I

^ih’n fce_ nbcm ]cns” [h^ nbcm b[m [ mnl[ha_ g_[hcha: I a_n nb_ `clmn

copy of my first novel as I enjoy the taste of my freedom and value

as a free human being. When they transfer us to the court they

take security measures that are suitable for army commands and

terrifying criminals. They fear us. Freedom is like a beautiful

39

qig[h, sio ^ih’n n[mn_ b_l qb_h sio n[fe [\ion b_l, \on qb_h sio

get involved with her.

Have a night full of freedom my friends

Omar Hazek-cell 2/5-Hadra prison

Sunday 16/2/2014

http://bit.ly/1hXmifl

40

20 February A statement by detainees held at 6th October central security camp

To whom it may concern

Tb_ ^_n[ch__m ch nb_ ][gj i` nb_ m_]olcns `il]_m ch O]ni\_l “ecfi

10.5 the Cairo Alex road“, nb_ cll_mjihmc\f_ [nncno^_ i` nb_ jo\fc]

prosecution that is biased in favor of the governing authority,

instead of being neutral and subjective as being the investigating

authority, unfortunately they issue all the detainees 15 days in

custody that gets automatically renewed, although most of the

charges against them are nonsense with no evidence in the memo

reported by the national security!!

The public prosecution by such biased irresponsible attitude is

trying hard to prove true the detaining decisions that the security

forces are trying to prove legal. It is an obvious attempt that makes

the general prosecution partner with the governing authorities in

the crimes committed against the Egyptian people.

The detainees in the mentioned camp are giving the general

prosecution 10 days to get back to its senses and do the role it is

supposed to do according to law and constitution, or else they will

announce boycotting it and stop dealing with it as one of the

oppressive tools of the state, and this is granted us by the

constitution. The detainees are calling for all the organizations of

the civil society concerned with human rights to act rapidly to stop

the daily violations taking place against them even in their basic

rights, especially that they have among them children at 15 and old

men over 70 and patients with chronic diseases. The detainees

confirm for their families and for the great Egyptian people that

they are determined on the right path, will not deviate away from it

ncff pc]nils ]ig_m \s Gi^’m qill.

41

23 February Sherif

“Ms g_mm[a_”

I will summarize the misery in

my heart in few words.

I ][h’n _rjl_mm_m qb[n cm aicha

on inside me without sadness

and grief for what we are in.

They now want us to die twice.

Once alive on their hands in

their prisons, and another time

\s Gi^’m `[n_ [h^ nb_ _h^ i`

our life and I see that the

second way is better for me

hiq. I ^ih’n q[hn ni \_ [fcp_ ch

gs al[p_. Tb_ “jlcmih” `il g_

is like a grave exactly and

worse.

Finally I want to see a real positive step for the sake of the students

i` Easjn qbi ain _g\l[]_^ \s cnm jlcmihm nb[n ^i_mh’n q[hn ni f_n

ai. Imh’n cn _hioab `il nb_g nb[n \_][om_ i` nb_g iol `onol_ cm

fimn?!! Imh’n cn _hioab nb[n iol `[gcfc_m [l_ ]lscha `il om ^[s [h^

night fearing from our sad destiny?!!

But despite all the pain I still have hope. And I know that God will

not waste the effort of anyone.

A student.. Freedom

23/2/2014

42

Islam Farag Eid Hendi 20 years, a student in preparatory school in the October high institute of engineering

I was arrested during the events of 25 January at Dokki police

station.

I was on my way to one of the optical laboratories in Dokki while a

march was passing. I found the lab closed and while I was on my

way back the police attacked the march and arrested a large

number randomly.

We are approaching the beginning of the second semester.

I demand the release of all the detained students.

43

Islam Badr 17 years old

Reason for arrest

I was arrested from the entrance of one of the residential building

where I was hiding until the demonstration would pass and the

street gets safe for passengers. I was on my way to play football

with some of my friends.

My message:

I found in Egypt unexpected injustice. I found the future of

scientists being lost. I found the police of my country destroying

who stands in fornt of it even if he is right. I forbid myself to see

an animal treated the way the police treats people. I found that the

police hate what God loves.

44

Mo'men Khaled Mahmoud, 15 years

Reason for arrest

I left my home to deliver a flash memory to one of my friends and

found tear gas and clashes on the way, so I hid in one of the

buildings and was arrested there.

My Message:

?!!!

45

Yasser Mohamed Abdel Monem, 16 years

Reason for arrest:

I was st[scha [n gs `lc_h^’m biom_ mch]_ Flc^[s 24/1 [h^ q[m

waiting for my cousin to come the next day. On Saturday we heard

sounds of clashes in the street and saw it form the window. I called

my father who ordered me to come back home as he feared

something wrong would happen. I went down and found myself

besieged by policemen who told me to surrender and drop

qb[n_p_l I b[p_, \on I ^c^h’n b[p_ [hsnbcha. Tb_s e_jn \_[ncha g_

till we reached the car!!!

My message:

Tb_ ^_n[ch_^ cm chhi]_hn ohncf jlip_^ aocfns„ A mentence that was

removed from the dictionary of the Egyptian police and policemen.

46

Islam Fathy Mohamed Mahmoud , 20 years

2nd year, Faculty of Art

Circumstances of arrest

I was arrested from the general Agouza hospital after taking one

of the injured during the raid of the forces of the central security

into the campus of Cairo University after I finished my exam.

My message

As life crushes us and as we sit in a small cell praying for God.

We are generations that got burdened by difficulties but be

optimistic. A glorious future is coming.

47

25 February 2014

Journalist Ahmed Gamal Zeyada

I completed 60 days in Abou Zaabal prison, after we were

physically and psychologically tortured in the police station of

Madinet Nasr 2 then tortured again in the Salam camp and slept

for 4 days on the ground of the camp and after evidence was

fabricated in front of our eyes, and who objects gets tortured, and

after all this we were placed in Abou zaabal prison.

We received 2 blankets one to put on the ground and the other to

warm ourselves with in an attempt to convince ourselves that we

are warm!! Food is composed of 2 loaves of bread and a piece of

halawa and rice all day. Bakeries or canned food that comes from

our families every 8 days in the visits are forbidden.

When our families come to visit us they wait outside the walls of

the prison for more than 8 hours to see us for only 5 minutes!!

48

The detectives read any letter sent to us from our relatives and

`lc_h^m, I ^ih’n ehiq nb_ qbs!! Ah^ qb_h nb_ `iod that comes to

us in the visits is being inspected, the detectives eat half of it like

g[^ ^iam nb[n b[p_h’n m__h `ii^ `il [ fiha ncg_!! W[n_l a_nm ]on

off for very long periods.

60 days and the cells are not open for us to walk and exercise as

the law allows us. The cells are only opened to bring food in and if

one of the officers gets bored he enters the cell and orders us to get

stripped under the pretext of searching the cell and they would

take all our heavy clothes that protect us from the cold winter.

Suddenly in 16-2-2014 the cells were opened for a reasonable time.

Then someone I think with a high rank in the ministry of interior

came to us and asked us about our needs, we told him we have

only 2 blankets. He ordered blankets to be brought for us!! They

did and to get clothes and they did, in the same day and for the

first time doctors asked if one of us is ill?! Knowing that I wrote

before about a case of death due to negligence when a patient was

in pain for 6 hours and more and we were screaming but, the

detective ordered us to shut up because we were sons of bitches as

he said. This detainee died and the paramedics came an hour

later!!

I asked the doctor: why the sudden attention doctor?!

He answered: 2 days exactly and everything will back like before

I asked: why?!

He answered: because there will be a visit from the human rights

organization tomorrow!!

Me: surprise!! And you got surprised although you know?!

In that same day the water was available all day!! Food was

eatable and could be eaten by human beings not the food that

animals would refuse to eat from its rotten smell!!

49

The visits in the next 2 days the 16th and 17

th lasted for half an

hour instead of 4 minutes!!

I wonder!! They fear the organizations of the human rights and

^ih’n `_[l God!! They respect the international opinion more than

they respect humanity!!

I `__f hiq fce_ I’g ch nb_ gc^^f_ i` ]illojn_^ _f_]ncihm. Fil mol_

after this visit everything will be back as it was.

The humiliation and psychological torture and stripping naked for

sure will happen again and they will take back the extra blankets

\_][om_ nb_s [l_ jl_]ciom [h^ q_ ^ih’n ^_m_lp_ nb_g [h^ nb_s qcff

cut off the undrinkable water and our families will visit us for only

4 minutes every 8 days or more and the doctor will not ask about

our health!!

Everything will be back to before and worse. We the detained

youth of the revolution will also be back to spark the light of the

revolution that they are trying to abort. We will not calm down till

the revolution triumph over the thugs and corrupts. We will back

to win or die inside the prisons. It is not important if we die as long

as we are on the right path!!

*note: the sun of 23-2 mbih_ [h^ nb_ bog[h lcabnm pcmcn ^c^h’n

come till now. It is obvious that they wanted to visit the chief of

investigations and the prison warden to make sure they were all

lcabn [h^ nb[n q_ q_l_h’n nilnolcha nb_g! Nice people!

http://on.fb.me/1g3473G

50

February 26 (published on the 5th of March)

Omar Hazek

“Ti qlcn_ [ hip_f \_mc^_ [ \[ll_f i` a[l\[a_ nb[n hi ih_ _p_l

q[mb_^”

Ms `_q `lc_h^m„ g[s siol ^[s \_ `off i` fip_

I was informed yesterday that some of you read my previous letter,

[h^ qlin_ g_ f_nn_lm, I [g fiiecha `ilq[l^ ni l_[^cha nb_g, I’ff a_n

them ch gs h_rn pcmcn, \_][om_ hiq I’g ch Bila Ef Al[\ jlcmih, [m

I was transferred with the convicted after the appeal was rejected

from the Hadra prison.

Now our uniform in prison will change from white to blue, proudly

I’ff f_[p_ nb_ ohc`ilg i` t[g[f_e ni nbat of Barcelona but without

the red stripes, (a laughing face), the price of my novels will rise so

be prepared!

Ih nbcm “cgjlcmihg_hn”, I b[p_ mig_ mnl[ha_ \[^ fo]e, nb[he Gi^

for everything; I was distributed in a very small and crowded cell

in Hadra prison.

There is unprecedented overcrowding because of the large number

of detainees. The only place that I could have in the cell was beside

51

the door, 1 meter away from a barrel of garbage that evidently no

one washed for years, and no plastic bags were put in. It was

awful. The smell is terrible and a collection of cockroaches here

that the cold only gives them strength and persistence.

From the beneficial lessons I learnt in prison is that Egyptians

^ih’n `[cf ni mifp_ [hs jli\f_gm qb[n mi _p_l. Sig_ i` nb_ good

fellows in the cell started helping me with many ideas, we found a

way to wash the barrel for fees, then we organized getting big

plastic bags to put inside and close them at night, we did a strong

and regular cleaning campaigns.

Unfortunately lights are completely off in the small cells, while the

big ones are left with some light in the end of the cell for those who

want to read or write. In the small ones there is no chance for any

privacy or isolation and this is the worst thing.

All the talk that I hear I totally refuse and there is no point in

[laocha [h^ nb_l_ cmh’n [ koc_n ]ilh_l. A`n_l [ gihnb ch gs jlcmih

I `_fn nb[n c` I ^c^h’n `ch^ [ q[s `il cmif[ncih ni qlcn_ I’ff ^c_. I

started to close my ears with pieces of tissue and ear plugs because

any kind of cell phones or MP3 are not allowed here, and this is

[hinb_l ^cm[mn_l [m I ][h’n qlcn_ _r]_jn qbcf_ I’g fcmn_hcha ni

songs.

Before I was detained I was revising the draft of a short novel that

I qlin_ [h^ I’g hin [\f_ ni a_n cn ch \_][om_ qlcnten words in

Hadra prison is a serious and big problem. Suddenly I

remembered that I had written a note about an idea for a novel

about an old man suffering from Alzheimer or memory diseases,

so I started thinking and taking some notes, then I started writing

every day after everyone goes to sleep.

The lights are off at 11 pm so I borrow a chair from my friend Dr

Mohamed Hindawi and sit between the sleeping bodies in the

small space near the high window that leaks a small ray of light

52

from the outside, which has 2 neon lamps, then one of them went

down and I became totally unable to see.

My friend Sherif Farag helped me in a wonderful way, he

designed a candle for me, its wick is made from the orange peel

and light matches, and its light from the ugly tedious food oil that

the prison provides us with, and its container is the lower part of a

bottle of mineral water. He kept inventing and trying different

models till the trial succeeded, but some of the fellows were afraid

that the blankets might catch fire, and Dr Hindawi was doing great

efforts trying to install a lamp in the cell, till the prison after the

painstaking negotiations succeeded and it was installed on 20/2.

I stay up late ecstatically writing (usually from 11 pm to 3-4 am),

and at 8 am on 21/2 th_s ][ff_^ gs h[g_: “jl_j[l_ siol mno``; sio

qcff \_ nl[hmjiln_^ ni Bila Ef Al[\”.

Here I keep writing at night on the light of the bathroom lamp, the

ip_l]liq^cha cm gil_ nb[h nb[n ch H[^l[ [h^ I’g ch nb_ ihfs ]_ff

specified for the convicted in the ward, I’g nlscha ni [^[jn qcnb fc`_

without music, and enjoy every night after the good people sleep

and I go to my poor notebook, my pen and the devil! I finished

nearly ¾ the novel as a first draft since I started the first

paragraph on the night of 1/1/2014.

Who could have imagined that I am capable of writing with all

these cockroaches in the nearby (laughing face)

I’g b[jjs gs `lc_h^m.

Omar Hazek, Borg El Arab prison-26/2/2014

http://bit.ly/1isPoB8

53

March 4

Ahmed Gamal Zeyada

Thanks to everyone who

stood by me or tried but

]iof^h’n. I q[hn sio ni

know that there is

thousands of oppressed

detainees no one knows

about-students-doctors-

engineers-poor people

[h^ inb_lm. Dih’n

differentiate between an

oppressed and another

even if his way of

thinking is different from

ours. And I want to tell

all my friends; take care

of yourselves and

differentiate between: boldness, bravery and throwing oneself in

jeopardy. Keep yourselves safe because you will complete the

l_pifoncih. Dih’n fim_ bij_ `il nb_ m[e_ i` siol `lc_h^’m \fii^.

Abg_^ G[g[f Z_s[^[ “A\io Z[\[f jlcmih”

54

Mahmoud Taha

A student in the second year in law school, Ain Shams University. His friends: “he was coming back from his work in a tourism company on August 14 2013 when some thugs took all what he had and handed him over to El Nozha police station”. He

sent this message with his family on Tuesday march 4 on the occasion of 200 days in prison, and he asked us to publish it on facebook.

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

I have been waiting for a long time for people to read this message.

I decided to wait for a certain occasion and I think this is a

suitable one because of the passage of 200 days, 123 of which in

Abou Zabal prison in ward 1 where I witnessed all kinds of

oppression, humiliation and then I was transferred to the military

Abou Zabal prison.

I stayed 20 days then was transferred to Tura prison reception

where I stayed for 31 days to be able to take my exams despite this

I q[mh’n [ffiqed to take my exams in 2 subjects, one of them

because I had to go to court for the renewal of my imprisonment

and the other because the transferring car was 5 hours late so the

exams were over. I was staying with convicted criminals accused

by being drug dealers and thugs. These were very hard days, then I

went back to the military Abou Zabal prison and am still there and

God knows for how long.

55

Ahsq[s I ^ih’n q[hn ni n[fe [ fin \on I q[hn j_ijf_ ni ehiq _r[]nfs

nb_ ]b[la_m I’g \_cha []]om_^ i`: predetermined murder of 49

people, attempted murder of 20, causing deliberate injury, showing

off with power, violent threatening , disturbing the public opinion,

using force with police personnel, sabotaging public buildings,

creating chaos, terrifying people, crowding, imposing influence on

the authorities in their work and preventing workers from freedom

of work, crippling the public transportation on purpose, stealing

portables mentioned in the investigation (note: from these

portables: destroying and stealing Hyper market, joining one of

the groups aiming to call for preventing the sate organizations and

the public authorities from doing its work and violating the

personal freedom of the citizens and harming the national unity

and the social peace, and possessions of unlicensed firearms and

their supplies.

These charges are the general ones but the details are much more,

some of which that there is 52 reports for me and I was asked 64

questions in the investigation of the prosecution regarding the 11

charges.

I am not upset by all the above because I am convinced that God is

on my side but I am sad because in my first investigation, the

secretary of prosecutor described me as (slim) if so, how come I did

all these bad deeds. I was patient but after such descriptiih I ][h’n

stay silent anymore.

I know God will not waste my right. I just want people who are just

n[fecha [\ion gs ][m_ qcnbion ehiqf_^a_ ni oh^_lmn[h^ [h^ I’ff

wait for this post to be all over the facebook so that any reckless

ih_ `__fm qb[n I’g aicha through especially that my case is not

mentioned in the media and no one knows anything about despite I

have been in prison for more than 7 months.

I hope you do not forget me in your prayers

56

March 6

Sherif Farag

Assistant lecturer in faculty of arts in Alexandria University. He was arrested from his home on November 27 at 2 am. He defended his Master thesis while in prison and his family wasn’t allowed to attend. This is his message from Hadra prison in Alexandria

For everyone I have known in all my life and who were an

addition to g_. Fil [ff nbim_ I b[p_ ehiqh _p_h c` iol ^[sm ^c^h’n

allow us to meet. For my family, students, colleagues and friends, I

miss you very much.

I miss you as I miss normal life that God gave me as a human

being. Not the life that was imposed on us by semi-humans

deprived from humanity, sense, and reason. Just like this my 30th

\clnb^[s ][g_ qbcf_ I’g [q[s `lig gs `[gcfs, [q[s `lig gs fip_

and my friends.

Jomn fce_ nbcm nb_ ^[s i` ^_`_h^cha gs g[mn_l’m nb_mcm ][g_ qbcf_

I’g [ prisoner for no reason, mercy, or sense. It passes like this

and the ongoing question is till when?

Tb_ ][m_ cmh’n l_a[l^cha gs j_lmih il ch ^_jlcpcha gs \linb_l [h^

postponing his wedding, or in the moral and financial loss or in

depriving me from my humanity and depriving my body from the

sun or in a locked tear in the eyes of my mother and father, or all

what a human being needs and live to accomplish, but the case is

in the absent justice.

57

Jomn fce_ nbcm 100 ^[sm j[mm_^ [h^ ncff hiq I ^ih’n ehiq qbs I am

here? What does this obsolete country wants from me? What do

these retarded want?

100 days with no evidence that I killed 34 people or stole a bank or

nb_ ch]cn_g_hn il ecffcha il „ il qb[n ]ig_m qcnb nb_ 14 ]b[la_m

ch ih_ ][m_. I’g mi ^[ha_liom nb[n I have 2 cases with the same

charges but in 2 different days!! The day before my engagement

and the day after.

This is not crying laughter if compared with an accused sentenced

2 years in prison and a fine of 50000 pounds despite that he was

dead two years before his case came to court (a true story) or with

one who is sentenced 7 years for being accused of the possession

i` [ “][h i` P_jmc”!

I send you my words while I miss my true nature ventilating my

worry and pain and the shapeless and meaningless days. All I can

promise you is that I will keep trying to live hoping to meet you

and to stay the way you know me; victorious for the right and

defending what is consistent with my conscience and declaring my

resentment for the corrupt and who supports them.

Th_ jlcmih ^i_mh’n ecff sio. In cmh’n scary. The scary and deadly

thing is that declaring what you believe dies inside you. So you

[l_h’n cgjlcmih_^ \s nb_ _p[h_m]_hn q[ffm \on chmc^_ nb_ q[ffm i`

your perishing bodies. The first one you will come out form to life

with your humanity and dignity that you are proud of and the

second will take away your consciousness and humanity so that

nothing remains inside you except the lusts in bodies only aiming

to eat and drink.

Injustice is multiplied on doomsday and Gi^ ^i_mh’n fce_ nb_

oppressors

http://bit.ly/PLUbWe

58

March 14

Mohanad Ihab, high school student

A message from the juvenile penal institution in Kom El Deka in Alexandria

Dih’n f_n nb_g \l_[e

you.

Yesterday on Thursday

13-3-2014 I was beaten

and humiliated. Time

to sleep came but I

^c^h’n mf__j, nb_ jifc]_

officer came and

found me awake, he

grabbed me and told

me to stand outside, kept insulting me and cursing my family and

ginb_l qcnb ch^_]_hn qil^m nb[n [l_h’n ni \_ maid even to a

criminal.

Then he ordered me to sleep with my face down and my hands

behind my back. He made me crawl on my abdomen and kept

beating on my back and cursed my mother.

It is so humiliating to be in such situation, it is like wanting to set

fire in oneself.

But thank God for everything

“Dih’n nbche nb[n Gi^ ^i_mh’n ehiq qb[n nb_ ijjl_mmilm [l_

^icha”

Mohand Ihab Nakhla 14-3-2014

59

March 16

Ahmed Abdel Rahman

Detained from the demonstration of the Shura council, he was arrested when he saw men in civilian clothes attacking 2 female protestors and tried to defend them

Freedom for Alaa, Doma, Maher, Mohamed Adel and the 23 and

the rest of the detainees and revolutionists and all the detainees of

conscience, thought and freedom. For all the revolutionists in the

qilf^. Ool l_pifoncih qcff ]ihncho_ \s Gi^’m qcff.

16/3/2014

60

March 18

Ahmed Ayman, 20 years

Arrested on June 30 2013. He is detained in Tura prison. His charge is being a terrorist!

I ^ih’n ehiq qb[n ni n_ff sio [`n_l I eh_q qb[n sio [l_ ^icha `il

me; my tongue is incapable of thanking you because such words

[l_h’n _hioab. Flig gs jlcmih [h^ ^_mjcn_ [ff nb_ chdomnc]_ ch cn I

thank God for putting me in this place, maybe it is a chance that

God will forgive me for my bad deeds and maybe it was a chance to

know the most brave, pure and honest revolutionists and maybe to

know the value of my friends. If I still hold my head high in

^cahcns, cn cm \_][om_ i` sio [h^ \_][om_ I’g ih_ i` sio. Pf_[m_ I

^ih’n fce_ [hsih_ ni n_ff g_ nb[n nb_ l_pifoncih fimn il `[cf_^. W_

will remain despite the violence and oppression of the remnants of

the old regime, the military and the Muslim brotherhood. How can

[ l_pifoncih `[cf qb_h cn b[m `l__ b_li_m fce_ sio? Pf_[m_ ^ih’n fim_

hope. You are my only hope, Freedom is coming and the blood of

the martyrs will not go in vain. Failure means giving up and we

will not give up. We will win or die.

Ahmed Ayman, http://on.fb.me/1g2jb56

61

March 24

Sherif Farag

After the 10th extension to complete 150 days in detention!

Congratulations for the renewal men

Time: 23 March 2014

Repeated night scene, some time, maybe 9.30

Place: Hadra prison or let us call it Alexandria public prison

A small room- fixed artificial light all day, because the normal

^[sfcabn ^i_mh’n _hn_l nb_ liig _r]_jn p_ls `[chn fce_ [ \ody on its

death bed.

Characters: A person, whose look is supposed to reveal justice,

summons a group of creatures still alive, they hear their names

one after the other, and ready leave, contrary to the previous time

and the one before-maybe it will be different this time!

A group of guards, police officers and detectives are in their

reception after the doors are opened, one after the other.

Lawyers whose condition does not differ much from those they are

waiting for, except they are wearing elegant ties.

The incident: (smiley) what we all know.. the hero has a corrupt

conscience, surrounded by public anger, not a single document

ever mentioned that he ever attracted public applause.. does not

own his decision, nor his position. We know the director is also the

author, as well as the hidden man giving the orders, suits, glasses,

and hearts all covered in black.

Hadra prioson- 24 March 2014

62

March 26

Messages from Maadi police station

I qih’n n[fe [ fin fce_ _p_ls ncg_. Tb_ nbcha cm: Ib[\ B[^l cm [

“dangerous man”.

Today we were threatened by getting killed and kidnapping our

families during the visit times! In addition to that since the

morning we are sleeping in a cell 1 x 1 meter and after we slept

“ip_l _[]b inb_l” q_ q_l_ [q[e_h_^ \s q[n_l. Ah^ nben beating

by hands?? Ihab Badr threatened us with a razor and knives he

b[^! H_ \_[n “Kb[f_^ M_e^[^” [h^ chdol_^ bcm [lg! Ah^ qb_h

we talked with him, he told us to do whatever we can; no one can

do anything to me!! I will kidnap your families during the visits.

He swore that if anyone from us comes out from the 1 x 1 area, he

will be slaughtered and die!! And that no one from us will live with

him in the same custody!!

When we asked the officer to solve this problem for us and that we

want to officially report “^_[nb nbl_[n” \s “Ib[\ B[^l” b_ nif^ om

63

do whatever you want. The only thing I can do is a police report

\on I ][h’n a_n bcg ion.

Now the officer got us the 11 out and we stayed in a room 1.5 x 2.5

g_n_lm “mj[]_ `il qig_h ^_n_hncih”. N[tfc ][h n_ff sio [\out this

room, how it looks like and if it can fit for 11 people although he

could have taken the 4 or 5 who were making problems out

instead. There is no window, fan or bathroom. At least we are

political detainees and they are criminal convicts.

After all this!! By the way we are still threatened to be killed and

you outside are in danger of being kidnapped.

God be with us

*mother, father and Mohamed must know what is happening and

must tell anyone as fast as they can. We seriously are threatened to

get kcff_^!! Tbcm cm Ib[\’m n[fe bcgm_f`.

64

Messages form Maadi police station 1

For everyone outside and

all my friends doh’n ][ff

me on any of the numbers

that I have in custody

because we are fighting

for 2 days and it was

getting violent

approaching murdering

and threats by the

criminal inmates here that

they will stab us, till an

officer came 2 hours ago

and took us to the women

section because it was

empty.

It is very small 2 x 1.5

meters and the weather is very hot but it is ok, the important thing

is that we got rid of those dogs in custody.

The important thing is that no one calls me on these numbers

specially the girls because they threaten us that they will harm the

people outside. The dogs were detaining us with criminals??? And

the ministry of interior helped them and it is a way to disturb us so

there must be some effort on this subject from the people outside

and a statement with what is happening to us.

.

65

Messages form Maadi police station 2

Peace be upon you

To my father, Mohsen,

jf_[m_ ^ih’n ]ig_ il

bring any of my family

after this because we are

having big trouble with

the criminal convicts in

custody with us. There

was beating, insults and

people were injured.

Please suspend the

numbers that I have with

me and change them

because we are threatened

by being killed and our

family members

kidnapped so please take

care and do what I say.

I [g ie [h^ ][h ^_[f qcnb mo]b ^clns ]b[l[]n_lm. I q_l_h’n chdol_^

it is Kheled Mekdad who was injured in his arm but he is ok. We

are threatened specially Suez. No one come to visit me, day or

hcabn. Dih’n g[e_ g_ qills [\ion sio.

Please listen to me and do as I say exactly.

I forgot to tell you that the 11 of us are transferred to a separate

custody only for us. We are ok. We fear for you outside. Please do

as I say..

66

Mostafa Adel

One of the 68 convicts from the Azbakia detainees

I am ok thank God, and will be

ok if God is willing.

Dih’n \_ ojm_n il m[^. Dih’n

cry Wessam and tell mother

never to cry, I am convinced

that I did nothing wrong and

you are too. Victory is very

close and the revolution will

win if God is willing, all what

they are doing is weakness and

fear from us and I saw this

with my own eyes, and above

all God is much stronger than

them.

67

How are you all?

I wanted to tell you about

what is going on in the

Hadra prison in

Alexandria.

From the young people in

the case of Sidi Gaber, 2

were sentenced to death so

when they came to us we

started shouting and then

slept. The next day, one

hour after dawn, while we

were sleeping 100 people

entered and started waking

us by beating us with

batons and took us outside without even getting dressed and made

us stand in 2 lines. We were around 25.

Outside we found army and police forces with dogs and large

amounts of pepper spray that blinds the eyes and a large number

of detectives. They kept beating and electrocuting us and we were

also bitten by the dogs.

They then took several of us to the "discipline room", 12 were

transferred to Borg Al Arab prison, and three were taken to

hospital in a bad condition because of the beating

Tbcm b[jj_h_^ ch q[l^ “^” ]_ff “6” [h^ nb_ ih_ l_mjihmc\f_ cm nb_

warden and a state security officer called Mohamed Aly. Let

people know about the torture and humiliation that are happening

to us.

Hadra prison

68

Omar Gamal Metwaly Ibrahimm AL Sheweikh

Madinet Nasr 2 police station

They threw me from

the car inside the

walls of the police

station.

I was taken to the

second floor in the

office of the chief of

investigations.

There was repeated

sexual harassment.

They put their hands

and fingers in the

place of defecation.

69

March 28

Mahmoud Abdel Wahed

My dear son Albaraa

My beloved son, I know you will not be able to read my letters but I

know for sure that my feelings will reach your young 8 months old

heart.

More than half a year passed and you are away from me, the walls

of injustice and the prisons of freedom separate us!! I miss playing

with you; miss your smile and lovely expressions. I miss holding

you in my hands and hugging you close to my heart. I miss

noticing you as you grow up day after day. I miss looking at you as

you sleep and see hope in your face, get encouraged and see the

beauty of the future.

Ms \_fip_^ mih, ^ih’n \_ m[^, nb_ ^[qh i` `reedom is coming soon,

I’g mol_ i` cn [m I’g mol_ ch Gi^. I’ff jf[s qcnb sio [h^ bif^ sio

and we will have fun and enjoy life and you will sleep in my arms

in your room that I miss everything in it and imagine your moves

on its ground and how you touch its walls as I touch the walls of

my cell. I am here for the sake of your future and try hard to build

a better future for you, a future that we both will be proud of,

proud of our country and cherish our identity. I pray God to let me

pay the tax of freedom, dignity and progression for you. I am here

to plant for you and for your generation the tree of freedom so you

and your generation will be able to enjoy its fruits.

My beloved son and the light of my eyes, our separation will be a

curse on the oppressors that will follow them in their sleep and

lives till we meet the fair judge who never waste our rights.

Your father Mahmoud Abdel Wahed

Hadra prison- cell 2/5

70

March 23

Ahmed Osama

Student in faculty of engineering, Ein Shams University, after 50 days in prison (Azbakeia detainees)

I am not the one to advice, I know

myself but I tell you: the love in my

b_[ln `il j_ijf_ I ^ih’n ehiq

personally is increasing. I want

them to continue demanding

freedom and I respect them more

since the day I was arrested with

them in Abou Zabal prison.

I tell anyone who is not sharing our

struggle for freedom: rise up, the

bottom is full.

On the occasion of 50 days in prison and after we were sentenced

to 2 years and 2 years surveillance, I will tell you some of the

details about life in prison. Starting from our trials to cope with the

dirty toilet, to the crowding in one cell and our problems with the

undrinkable water. I will tell you the story of the sergeant who

asked us to give him water to drink and when we gave him tap

q[n_l b_ m[c^ “hi ^i sio q[hn ni ecff g_, I q[hn gch_l[f q[n_l”;

[h^ nb_ mnils i` nb_ ^i]nil qbi nif^ ih_ i` bcm j[nc_hnm “^ih’n

^lche `lig nb_ n[j q[n_l \_][om_ cn qcff g[e_ sio mc]e”. W_ q[mb

the toilet with dettol everyday and negotiate for our right to have

blankets. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail.

We make chess pieces from soap and I will not forget the

happiness one of our colleagues felt after having a boiler.

We are now in the luxurious cell. The only thing left is that we

forgot what hot meals were like!!

71

We get all the solidarity letters. Articles by Dr Rabab EL Mahdi or

Mostafa El Naggar or Dr Ahdaf Sweif and others.

I remember how I was down after being sentenced till I read Dr

R[\[\ Ef M[b^c’m [lnc]f_. Ah^ I nb[he _p_ls ih_ i` sio ]ih]_lh_^

with our case.

Our stories are very strange. There is the engineer Ez who works

in Egyptair and travelled everywhere in the world and finished

serving for 3 years in the army.

Half the detainees are students. Medical and engineering students

and a student in the French university.

We hear a lot of news about amnesty being granted but nothing

happens!

Pray for us as we go to the court of appeal. We have hope in God

and in you.

We only dreamt of a life worth living!

http://on.fb.me/1rk8zjV

72

March 24

Yaseen Sabri, Abou Zabal prison

After spending 67 days in this

]iohnls’m jlcmihm sio qcff \_

convinced that there is no

judiciary, law, justice, freedom,

human rights or anything related

to humanity.

Ih nbcm ]iohnls’m jlcmihm sio qcff

know that law is only used to

violate anyone opposing their

opinion. You will see young people

getting in prison for over 100 days without being seen by a judge

or even being able to see their lawyers. You will see the prosecutor

every time and he will tell you confidently that you are not guilty

and that he knows that your were randomly arrested but what can

he do??

In these prisons you get to see young people getting stripped from

their clothes and flogged on their backs by belts. Young people

being electrocuted to admit possession of so and so.. In these

prisons 25 years old police officer puts food in front of young

j_ijf_ qbi b[p_h’n _[n_h `il 12 biolm [h^ n_ff nb_g “q_ b[p_

\__h ^icha \[^ mno``, f_n om ^i mig_ aii^ ^__^m” nb_h [m miih [m

nb_s mn[ln _[ncha b_ m]l_[gm “mnij, _hioab qcnb nb_ aii^ ^__^m”!

In these prisons if you sing you will see detectives cursing and

swearing to stop you. You will see all kinds of ideas and directions:

you will see the revolutionist, islamist, jihadi, and you will see

young people with no affiliation. And finally you will see in these

prisons young people burning the flag of Egypt or cursing when

they see it in the newspaper. How can they love this flag or this

country which is controlled by generals and businessmen who

73

robbed everything in it even freedom, dignity and love for this

country? They used oppression and defeat as their dogma.

This country wants to silence everyone who utter words like

(justice..freedom) but the revolution will not stop till its light

prevails even if the generals hate this. The revolution continues.

http://on.fb.me/1lfUJRe

74

March 26

Fady Al Ereny

16 years old. He was arrested on December 27 in front of his friend’s house. He is being kept in Kom El Deka. His charge is “crowding and protesting without permission and showing of strength”.

After 95 days in detention

and with the trial

approaching in April 2 I

would like to tell the youth

of the revolution that I am

determined and steady and

^c^h’n acp_ oj il fim_ bije

one day and my ideas are

not scattered from the

oppression of the ministry

of interior or the injustice

of the regime and I am asking you to hold on and not to lose hope

because the victory of the revolution is close. Continue our

revolution for the sake of the martyrs, the injured and our great

country. The revolution continues. Down everyone who betrays.

#despair_is_treason

#we_will_continue

#glory_to_the_matryrs

Fady Al Ereny

75

76

24 March

Detainee at Azouli military prison, Ismailia

-Torture is done by suspension on doors, pouring of boiling water

and boiling oil, electricity. Some of the detainees are bound by

their feet and hands throughout the day in solitary cells for

months.

-In Azouli prison there are hundreds of detainees who have

committed no crime. Several of young detainees were killed under

torture.

-There is a mute detainee with half of his body paralyzed

-Another detainee, Ayoub, 12 years old, is accrued of bombing a

tank and they killed his father in Sinai

-Omar is a 16 years old detainee

-The toilet is allowed one once before dawn and every 3 persons

have 5 minutes only and the beating continues on the way to the

toilet

-Food is very little and not enough (bread and macaroni)

-There is no light in the cells, so from before sunset until after

dawn one is in complete darkness

-Some young people are held in Azouli although their case has

been referred to court

-For interrogation people are taken from the prison to another

building in the same camp (Elgalaa camp). Their hands are tied

behind their backs, they are blindfolded and in the interrogation

building begins another journey of torture, suspension, boiling

water, boiling oil. In some cases wives were brought in and

suspended from doors to force the men to confess to what the

interrogators wanted.

77

-Ih Atiofc jlcmih nb_l_ cm [ qig_h’m m_]ncih. Yio []no[ffs b_[l

their screaming during interrogation.

http://on.fb.me/1htLZEE

78

Adel El Saghir

In those hard times and the

repeated crises it hurts me to

be away from the freedom

fighters when they are

receiving one treacherous

blow after another. It is

difficult to to be with you in

joy and in sorrow, but god

has thus ordained.

A while ago I received a

message from a friend, where

he said he is sad and feels

pity for the state I am in and

advised me, when I am

released, to take care of my

life. His words: "wake up and enough the time you have lost. We

shall not change the universe"

I thought about this piece of advice from a dear friend and I really

don't know how he calculates the days that are wasted and those

that are not. I wish to tell you my friend, that the wasted lost days

are those that we spend without struggling, without fighting for a

target and a project.

The wasted days are all the times we saw injustice and did not

rebel; all the times we let the oppressors oppress the country

without expressing anger. We left those who steal the country

waste the nation and was shared with them in the biggest crime

against the nation, when we let them manipulate the minds of

people while we focused on trivial battles. The new occupation is

all over the country and we claim freedom. What value is life, my

dear friend, in an injured homeland and a broken, humiliated

nation!

79

My dear friend, all the days of my life were lost and wasted and I

know no other value for the days of my life except those days

where I am detained for a cause. The detention does not triumph

over us except by controlling our bodies. But our ideas and spirits

are free. There is no way to put them in prison. How many freed

bodies carry an enslaved mind, a broken spirit and a defeated

heart.

Beware, free people, of the wasted days. Live your lives full of

struggle, for a cause and remember that the life of the free is full

of glory.

The life of the free: revolutionary, injured, detained, martyr

Your brother, Adel El Saghir

March 2014

80

31 March

Abdelmoneim Bahaa El Din Gomaa

Detained in Azouli prison

(this message was sent during the renewal session of his and his brother's detention, where he described the details of his arrest and his torture in Azouli prison in Ismailia.)

I was kidnapped from home on the 23rd of January and held at

Azouli camp for 27 days during which I was tortured with

electricity, beating and flogging with an iron chain.

In Azouli prison those kidnapped are suspended for continuous

days and nights without food or drink. If one of us screams of

thirst he hears the voice of her torturer saying open your mouth so

that you may drink; and when the victim opens his mouth an

electric wire is inserted in his mouth instead of water.

http://bit.ly/1swnVoY

81

Menatallah Mostafa - El Masoura

Detained since 12th November with Abrar El Anani and Yusra el Khatib

Detention is not easy at all. I used to wish and pray to be detained,

but when it happened, although I am meditating with God, but you

are doing nothing, and there is nothing in your power to serve

your cause. It is true we send out messages to people but there is

nothing more beautiful nor precious than freedom.

82

2 April

Ahmed Douma writes from prison: between the doctor and the prison guard ( Two years for demonstration without permit)

(1) The doctor finished

my examination in the

prison hospital. He read

my medical record and

them began writing a

prescription and draw a

diet that is appropriate to

my condition and the

diseases of my digestive

system which have reached a most terrible state. He told me not to

eat or drink almost anything that I know and like) of course stop

immediately any smoking or tea, the two bad habits which I love

most.

You never appreciate the value of things in your life, especially

those you love, until you lose them!!

(2) The prosecutor concluded his hearing with the most famous

ko_mncih “[hsnbcha _fm_ sio q[hn ni m[s?” Aonig[nc][ffs I

[hmq_l_^ “hi”. Tb_h b_ qlin_ ^iqh bcm decision which entailed

that I can no longer work, move or travel, or protest, nor even

watch movies or the programs I like; I would not see Nurhan

except once every 15 days; my mother, father, brothers and few

friends I have not seen them in three months; my longing for small

things has become extremely painful, to smoke a cigarette on your

balcony, to walk in the streets of downtown at night, to sit with

your friends on a café, to eat your favorite ice cream while

reading, to be next to a friend who needs you, even to receive

condolences for a friend who died.

83

Oh_ ^i_m hin l_[fct_ nb_ p[fo_ i` nbcham ch ih_’m fc`_ – especially

those you love most, even if trivial – except after you lose them.

(3) We ended our meeting in February 2013 after we discussed the

different scenarios of dissent against the brotherhood and the

iomncha i` Milmc. W_ n[fe_^ [\ion nb_ ch_pcn[\cfcns i` “gcfcn[ls

[onbilcns” qbc]b h_p_l f_`n [hsq[s, [a[chmn iol qcff. W_ jim_^

questions such as: how shall we deal with them? We differed in

opinion. But the outcome was that we knew more than a year ago

that there is no way around the military, and that we, the

revolution, do not have the cards of the game that enable us to

change this disastrous fate or impose our conditions or even seize

rights that can accomplish even a partial victory.

(4) I lit a cigarette now. I am not used to writing without smoking.

May the doctor and Norhan forgive me.

(5) Didn't I know before more than 4 years ago that "eating on the

street" without fixed times, smoking, tea and stress will result in

what I am now? I did. The doctor told me but I chose not to listen.

Not out of stubbornness, but because I had to. The choice was not

between health and sickness, but between doing what you want

and feel the pain in your body or abstain and feel the pain in your

soul. Didn't I know, also, since the first time that I walked in a

demonstration 9 years ago that I shall return injured, insulted or

detained, or maybe not return at all? I did but the choice was not

between rest and exhaustion, but between a superficial rest and

false sense of freedom, while your soul is tied by oppression or

silence and sometimes carelessness, between doing what you

believe or saying what you believe to be really free even if your

body is imprisoned, to be really healthy even if you are injured, to

be really proud no matter how much you were beaten, insulted and

humiliated!!

(6) The stomach pains are not because of what you eat, but

because of what is eating you up

84

(7) Nor was the choice ever between a civil elected authority and

another military non elected one.. it was not between continued

oppression and revolting against that oppression.. it was between

those who will kill you because you are an atheist and those who

will kill you because you are a terrorist.. we had to get rid of the

immediate danger represented by the former.. but we were not a

position to chose.. all we knew was that the struggle against the

latter was definitely coming!!

(8) I am not the one who made the bad choice - in the three

situations - because I am not the one who put those choices.. they

were imposed on us as people and as a a generation.. the choice

between two ugly, murderous options. Our continuous efforts to

create a third option was our choice, even if we had failed!!

(9) Don't you think I shall be very happy to protect my health

without depriving me of enjoying life!?

(10) How I miss a sandwich of beans with pickled aubergine from

the bean cart in our street on my way to work in the morning. But

the orders of the doctor and the prison guard dictate else wise!!

Political activist, poet and member of Egypt's writers' union

85

3 April

The pillow

Time must stop, the earth must stop turning, and you must focus

your eyes and hearts to this important date in my life here in

Hadra prison. At about 2 pm today I have become owner of a

pillow of fiber, where I can dip my head heavy with thought and

dreams.

I know that among you now some may be surprised and may take

the decision to move on to another page or listen to music, but to

those who have arrived here and who are still determined to reach

the end like any great person in their world struggling to the end, I

shall tell you my story with the pillow.

Because I am a naïve person to a great extend and have never

expected that state tanks and central security camps and police

trucks would occupy our small home, two rooms and a reception.

It seemed that some inspection planes were flying through the sky

of our home, but the darkness of the last hours before dawn

prevented me from seeing them. Anyway, because I did not take my

precautions for this barbaric attack I crossed the steps of my home

with this great army wearing a GAP t-shirt and was taken to

Alexandria security directorate. The state security officer said it

would be only half an hour. They threw us in a cell for 4 days and

in my trembling hands I held my pillow. It was bitter November

cold.

On the 28th of the same month an officer came at about 9 am – of

course we were asleep – woke us up and took us to the transfer

truck. I was heavily slapped on the face, leaving long red marks.

My pillow began a new journey in Hadra prison. We were lucky to

have woolen covers before our transfer to the directorate. This

rough thorny cover served as a cover and a pillow at the same

time. Here we began to learn that the officer is the source of life:

86

he can give or can take away, tempt or withhold, carrying life or

death, depending on his whims. From my pillow and my bed I

moved to an ice cold stone floor which makes the cold seem more

biting and cruel.

With time and through the visits we began to have covers,

underwear, soap and a sponge. I mentioned only underwear

\_][om_ sio ^ih’n h__^ inb_l ]finb_m. Ih jlcmih sio learn to focus

on the essentials. With those simple accessories you can make a

nice, softer pillow. A trouser leg or a t-shirt stuffed with the other

clothes is nice and sufficient. The most important thing is that they

be clean or else you will not tolerate the smell of your own sweat.

Dih’n \_ ^cmaomn_^. Tbcm cm mcgjf_ [h^ hc]_ c` ]igj[l_^ ni nb_

smell of the toilets. Your daily use of clothes makes your pillow

eventually thinner and here you have to use a towel for example or

double the twist in the blanket.

M[hs qiof^ qih^_l, qbs [ff nbcm mo``_lcha, qbs ^c^h’n sio \lcha

your fiber pillow with you?

It seems a logical question; but to own a pillow in prison is

something akin to a dream.. until two weeks ago when the prison

administration decided to introduce the luxuries of life gradually

so that we do not feel overwhelmed.

Sherief Farag – Alhadra prison

87

From children detained from Kom El Dekka events

Yes to hunger.. no to submission

The MOI does not keep its word

They went there safe and healthy

and came back ill, either

physically or psychologically or

both. All promises indicated that

our colleagues held at the

penitentiary will return in the

first transfer. On the 13th day of

the hunger strike the first

transfer came with only 26

children, leaving 10 behind

claiming that their court session was too long.

Why do they leave them in this torment if they could transfer them

to any detention place in Alexandria.

Accordingly we declare that we are on a hunger strike until death

or the realization of our demands. Our demands are the following:

1- The return of all political detainees from the penitentiary

2- Cancellation of all transfers to the penitentiary

3- Our release

We wish to announce more than 20 cases of fainting among us, 5

cases in real danger. There is also a suspicious silence concerning

the children being moved to the hospital. That is why we appeal to

all who claim belief in human rights, to all who claim children's

rights locally and internationally and to all merciful hearts.. save

the rest of our colleagues. They neither eat nor sleep and it is not

an exaggeration if we say they are not really alive. Whoever is not

physically ill is psychologically ill.

88

We are tired of all the failing attempts to end our strike. The

security chief of Alexandria "Mostafa Elqadi" promised us that we

shall spend the period of pretrial detention in Alexandria, and that

our colleagues in the juvenile penitentiary will return in the first

transfer. The same promise was made by the human rights

committee and the director of the juvenile center seconded the

promise.

Save them before it is too late. Save the children of Egypt.

89

10 April (date of publishing)

Mahmud Abu Zeid

On the 14th of August, the day of

dispersion of the sit-ch i` Milmc’m

supporters, the ministry of interior

through its facebook page called

upon journalists to be present

during the dispersion and to work

objectively and transfer a true

picture of its work.

And that is what I did. I went to

R[\[’[ ni ^i gs di\ [m [

photojournalist. During the early hours of the day I was arrested.

My equipment was taken. I was beaten and verbally abused and

put in prison since then as well as charged as one of the

demonstrators of killing, illegal gathering and membership of the

Muslim Brotherhood, although I do not belong to any political

faction.

I was doing my job as a correspondent for press agencies together

with two colleagues, a photographer and a reporter. We were all

arrested at the same time and taken to the Cairo stadium.

After about two or three hours my colleagues were released (one

French, the other American) while I remained facing charges of

having committed crimes.

8 months have passed. About 500 detainees have been released and

I am still detained despite the fact that I am a journalist, have no

political affiliation, did not participate in the sit-in or any political

events. Only a photojournalist.

I work as an independent photojournalist since 2010 and was

trained in Al-Ahram newspaper for 6 months. I am also a recent

graduate of Akhbar El Youm Academy, Department of

90

Journalism. I work hard to develop myself as an Egyptian young

man who struggles to safely settle down.

I am now in prison and after a few days I would have completed 8

months, unjustly. I do not know why I am here. Why am I being

held in this cell for so long

I have been kidnapped. I left my house where I live with my elderly

parents to go my job and I could not return.

For 8 months I have been trying to prove that I am a journalist. I

have submitted all the necessary documents to the concerned

authorities, to no avail.

I appeal to your humanity and justice that I be release from prison

and to return to my father and mother, family, work and career,

praying to God for forgiveness and justice.

For 8 months I have been suffering and my family has been

suffering and we do not know why. Has a journalist become a

]lcgch[f, [ gol^_l_l, [ m[\in_ol; cmh’n [ diolh[fcmn [ l_`f_]nion of

society, its servant and defender?

For the sake of the freedom of the press mentioned in our

constitution, I appeal to the implementation of this constitution in

real life. http://www.yanair.net/archives/37551

91

Message from Abu Zaabal prison

While this letter is

being written chants

against the military are

shaking the walls of

Abu Zaabal prison

during the power cuts.

The detainees have not

yet forgotten Sheikh

Emad Effat and Mina

Danial. They have not

forgotten the slogans of

nb_ l_pifoncih: “Bl_[^,

Freedom, Social

Jomnc]_”, hil nb_

chants against the

military as the

successive authorities

wish. They thought that

the killing and the

oppression will make

the free forget their cause. On the contrary. It makes us more

devoted to our cause. We did not achieve major or amazing

successes on the path of the revolution. We know that. We know

we did nothing but chant. But that is enough. It is enough to give

them a headache. This is our job. To make life difficult for them.

To abort any project that leads the country away from bread,

freedom and social justice.

“W_ [l_ nb_ pic]_ qb_h nb_s q[hn mcf_h]_. “

92

16 April

Statement by Alazhar students detained in Abu Zaabal 2 prison

In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate,

When we were young we learned in our schools that the secret

behind the advancement of nations is education. History does not

mention a national that advanced without education.

The current random arrests of university students, seekers of

education, takes place at a time when this country is in most need

of its youth and students.

93

What happens after arrest is clear and known to all, Students are

tortured and humiliated in police stations as if they were the enemy

that threatens the country. Alazhar students were repeatedly told,

even by the prosecution in court, that we are traitors of the

country. This case no. 6959 concluded with a three years prison

sentence and 10 thousand Egyptian pounds fine. Three years were

given in case no. 6970 and 5 years and a 100 thousand pound fine

in case 7332, all in one session. Those sentences come after a long

time present by the students in pretrial detention, during which no

evidence was found against us.

It is therefore that we students of Al Azhar held in Abu Zaabal

prison announce the beginning of an open hunger strike until the

following demands are fulfilled:

1- Rapid release of all detained students, both sentenced and

in pretrial detention

2- Non-attendance at the police academy used for our trials

94

18 April

Mohamed Fawzi, Faculty of pharmaceuticals, Mansoura

(1)

“Shut up you people, we want to

sleep..it seems those electric shocks

b[p_ m]il]b_^ siol \l[chm” mo]b

spoke one of the cellmates to others

who were laughing at the time for

sleep

“Ah^ nb_s qih^_l qb_l_ nb_

electricity problems are coming

`lig!!In’m ihfs h[nol[f. I` [ff

electricity is channeled to state

m_]olcns ni om_ ih ^_n[ch__m”„ [h^ nb_h nb_ qbif_ ]_ff \l_[em chni

laughter.

I ^ih’n nbche nb_ jl_m_hn ^c]n[nil b[m [h c^_[ qb[n b_ is doing. I

^ih’n nbche b_ l_[fct_m nb[n bcm n_llc\f_ _f_]nlc]cns b[m \_]ig_ [

die_ nb[n g[e_m om f[oab. I ^ih’n nbche b_ l_[fizes that the walls

surrounding us have become retreats for mediation, reading and

reflection. I don't think he realizes that a generation is growing

and a whole community is bonding and integrating inside

detention places, a community whose memory has been engraved

with memories that remind us every morning with the real reason

why we are on this earth: to fight every injustice.

(2)

A fight against every oppressor even if only by a simple message

that documents and uncovers the trugh like the one I am trying to

write now: a message I hesitated to write for two reasons:

First, because I do not want to expose my pain on paper to invite

fake solidarity or compassion with the cause, for which I was

95

pained. Our cause, with or without me, will God willing be

victorious. Besides, faith is not born like this. But I made up my

mind and am writing for a single reason: my belief that for

everything God has a reason and that God put me here to write

truly about what I have seen. That is why I am writing and shall

write more.

(3)

- C[h sio m__ [hsnbcha fce_ nbcm „. H_ [sked after putting the

blindfold on my face

-No

- then come with me you son of a b***.. you will see now.. you will

see death you *****he screamed and violently pushed me

I didn't see death. I saw the truth I was seeking.. the truth of the

blindfold, the h[h^]o``, nb_ _f_]nlc]cns „ [h^ nb_ nlcogjb

The blindfold

I remained blindfolded for a whole week. Elpasha was terrified

that I might recognize anything about his identity or the place

where they kidnapped me from. The strong Pasha in a God like

manner tells me that he is omnipotent, and yet he is scared, like

any tyrant, that the people know anything. The blindfold is a must

to cover, to hide, to misguide

The handcuff

“Yiol b[h^ \_bch^ siol \[]e sio \[mn[l^m.. b[h^]o`` nb_g [ff

\_bch^ nb_cl \[]em j[mb[”

The armed Pasha is leading a brigade of armed men inside a

building guarded by tanks. Of course he is not afraid we might

escape. That is not why he is handcuffing us. What he really wants

to ensure that no moment should pass without us feeling

continuous pain; slapping, kicking and beating with sticks is not

96

enough; sleep and food deprivation for days is not enough. Even

in those short breaks from beating – probably because they are

exhausted – they pour cold water on our bodies that become as

cold as the dirty tiles on which they throw us.

Electricity

-Your name?

-Mib„

-No, your name is Laila, Laila you son of a b****. He cut me short

with punches that made me drop to the ground where he attacked

me with an electric shock to my neck, before standing with his

\iinm„ ih gs `[]_.

I heard many torture stories. All of them begin with a humiliating

violent aggression. All tyrants have the same policy. Since the first

moment they drown you in a dirty, ugly pile of torture until you

lose your breath and your utmost wish becomes to experience a

single minute without pain.

Exactly what happens to the youth outside. Excessive repression,

wide random arrests, expulsion of students, breaking into homes

and their destruction. The same instruments, the electric taser, the

handcuffs, all are tools used by tyrants to convert revolutionaries

into a bunch of desperate young people, whose utmost hope

becomes a demonstration without injuries or a release of a friend

long detained. Always the same tools. But they never work.

(4)

Since my detention I have no full piture of what is happening

outside. But the politics and the whole situation inside prison is

just as they are outside,, as I have tried to explain. That is why I

wish to say

Here behind those walls I did not find angels, or fighters with

extraordinary powers. I saw normal human beings, with mistakes

97

and problems like all of us, some have small dreams, some have

big dreams. But they are steadfast, confident, determined. You feel

that when they shake hands, when they sing at night, even when

they are silent or meditating. Their faith in their victory is

doubtless.

http://on.fb.me/1iRk9Ow

98

24 April

Mohamed Moussa from Abu Zaabal prison

Egypt and the trial

The court ruled 136 years in prison for Egypt. We are 68 people

among us doctors, engineers, teachers and students and people

from all walks of life. That is why I say the judge has ruled not

against us but against the whole of Egypt.

If we receive this sentence, then, yes, the country is lost. For who

will rescue the country from the decadence and the destruction

other than the youth in prisons. The judgment is a judgment

against Egypt.

Be proud then, leaders of the country, be proud for having

sente4ced innocent youth. You have sentenced Egypt to prison.

We are grateful to all who support us and make our voices heard,

Ms. Yasmin Hossam and Ms. Ahdaf Soueif and all who stand by

us for the sake of Egypt.

http://www.yanair.net/archives/44050#

99

2 May

Mohamed Fahmy

I am writing this letter on the

international day of freedom of

nb_ jl_mm. I’g qlcncha `lig gs

cell after 128 days of detention,

for no other reason than doing

my job which I like. This

experience will change my life,

will inspire me and is as

valuable as the past 15 years

which I spent covering revolutions and standing on the front lines

in wars in the Middle East and North Africa.

When the reporter becomes the news instead of covering it, one

wonders about the reason and those responsible for detaining you

behind bars in the terrorism section of the prison to prevent us

from doing our journalists job, me and my colleagues, accusing us

of being a danger to national security and that we belong to a

terrorist organization. The charges are a slap to our face and the

face of democracy, endorsed by the new constitution.

It is very unusual for a man like me to feel short of words. I got the

news about this award on my birthday last week during the visit by

my brother in prison. It did not only bring me great joy but also

lifted the morale of my two work colleagues sharing my cell. I first

wish to thank all who stood by me and my family during those

difficult times. A few weeks ago I was in my cell reading in the

news about the coming visit of foreign minster Braid to Egypt . I

wondered whether he would remember me in the midst of his busy

schedule and meetings with the Egyptian government. A few days

later I smiled when I read he spoke with the Egyptian foreign

minister about my release. To detain a journalist and to try to

silence his case is not just an insult to the Egyptian constitution,

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which I supported, but also an attach against the national and

international press community.

The award on the international day for press of the freedom came

at a time when all I think about is the number of local journalists

who are currently in detention. Our main argument in court will

be to persuade the judge of the role of our profession. We are

reporters seeking the truth. We are neither agents nor terrorists.

This award will prove our point.

I will proudly accept this certificate from the UNESCO Canadian

committee. But I hope that the committee will permit me to donate

the financial part of this award to the deceased journalists Mayada

Ashraf, a young Egyptian journalist who lost her life covering

clashes between security forces and protest demonstrations last

month. I do not know her personally but I read the details of her

martyrdom. I do not know who shot her in the head, but I know

the dangers facing coverage of streets in Egypt. I hope that her

family would accept my gift as a token for my appreciation for her.

I hope they know that her death will be mentioned in history and

the record of freedom of the press. As an Egyptian Canadian with

a presence on both sides I shall build on the values I learnt from

both. How I wished to be there in person to receive the award, to

stand in front of you and address you in Ottawa.

I finally wish to stress my love for my beloved home country Egypt

where I spent the most beautiful years of my life. As a patriot I

adore the soil of this country and my participation in the 25th

January and 30th

of June revolutions was evidence of my love for

this country, where I never thought I would be tried as a terrorist

for working as a journalist, the profession I cherish and for which

I have worked for more than 15 years. From my cell I appeal to all

supporters to freedom of the press not to hold Egypt, my beloved

country, accountable for the mistake of our detention. I also wish

to thank my fellow journalists for their support. Our spirits are

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high when we receive the news about solidarity marches and the

twitter hashtags which attract thousands of people calling for our

release. It is then that our hope increases.

In the loneliness of my cell I remembered the creative reporters I

met in the square, reporters such as Anthony Shedid and Mary

Colvin who lost their lives in the Arab Spring for the sake of the

profession. God bless their souls.

I respect the judge in charge of our case and I think he recognizes

the creativity of the profession of journalists. I am sure he did not

know that the date set for my trial coincides with the day of the

freedom of the press. I plan to tell him in court and to ask him to

release us as I do in every session. I thank every individual who

demands the release of a journalist on the job. We shall remain

free behind bars, because journalism is not terrorism.

http://on.fb.me/ReRAo4

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Mohamed Sherief

After a few days I shall be sentenced by a

judge who is supposed to rule justice and

enforce justice. But God knows what fate

has in store for me???

I shall share my experience with you and

tell you about how it feels to be in prison..

During the first days you almost

completely focus on the memories of your arrest and the days

before that. The question is: How long will I stay here?

After about 20 days you feel frustrated and down and an

overwhelming desire to get out and revenge in every way possible!!

After 45 days you gradually lose hope that you will get out and

your feel really drained of thinking of the suffering of your family

and friends, and the importance of this detention and whether it

will really change something and make people speak out!!

Dear former prisoner who has not spent 60 days in prison.. dear

revolutionary who did not get arrested – hope nobody does – I

want to tell you that after 60 days you become indifferent towards

almost everything. You think about nothing other than how you

will spend the day? What you will eat today? And who has visits so

that you can send letters with him!

After 90 days you feel a great psychological calm. It is no longer

important that you get out because you have become an old

prisoner (i.e. you have experience). What can they do to you more

than they already did? Will they hang you?? Imagine if your ward

is opposite the execution room.

Nobody can do anything to us: that was my feeling most of the

time since I got arrested. But prison has taught me that I must

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continue when I am released. Nothing will silence the voice of

truth except death.

Dih’n a_n mbi]e_^. I [g jl_j[lcha gsm_f` `il [ m_hn_h]_ i` hi f_mm

than two years, i.e. 18 months. I have already spent 3, so 15 are

remaining. Then I will be out and we’ff ]b[ha_ nb_ l_acg_.

The revolution continues

Mohamed Sherief

Ward 5; cell 4 theft; Wady El Natroun prison

(Arrested on the 25th

of January 2014. More than 100 days in

prison)

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El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of violence

3 A Soliman El Halabi street, From Ramsis street - Cairo

Email: info@elnadeem.org

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