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Alert

Cassation Court accepts re-trial of sentenced academic and his colleagues

(EOHR/IFEX) - The following is a 6 February 2002 EOHR press release:


The Cassation Court accepted the re-trial of Dr. Saad El Deen Ibrahim and his associates

EOHR welcomes the ruling of the Cassation Court, issued in its session of 6 February 2002. The court accepted Dr. Saad's appeal and challenge and referred him to the State Security Felony Court.

Dr. Saad El Deen, a sociologist and the director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Developmental Studies, was sentenced to a seven-year prison term on 23 May 2001, while his 27 associates were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to five years. Nine of them received a suspended sentence for three years.

The previous ruling was based on the exceptional and defective legal texts of 1992 Military Decree No.4. This military decree was issued in accordance with the power of the military ruler by virtue of 1958 Emergency Law No. 162. It is worth mentioning that Dr. Saad El Deen and nine of his associates challenged this previous ruling, which was scheduled to be heard on 19 December 2001 but was delayed to 16 January 2002. The court subsequently issued the ruling in its session today. According to the ruling of the Cassation Court, Dr Saad El Deen and his associates have the right to re-trial before the State Security Felony Court in another district and by a new judicial body.

EOHR hopes that the accusations will not be based on the 1992 Military Decree No.4, especially since the Cassation Court previously announced that issuing military decrees, which stipulate crimes and penalties, is an infringement on legislative power.