Why all the media attention ?

• 80m population• Border with Israel• Suez Canal• Largest Arab nation

and most influential

Political Lack of democracy (president, government, political

parties & parliament not representing the people) Political suppression , torture Corruption on all levels

Economic Poverty Increase & widened gap between the rich & the

poor Unemployment rate increase Inflation

Other Educational deterioration

The Motives

Immediate resignation of President Mubarak and his government (the first and most important)

Formation of a temporary people government that does not involve the National Democratic Party followed by transparent elections

Termination of the emergency law & immediate release of detainees & demonstrators

To question & hold accountable the responsible

Freedom of expression and rights

The Demands

This movement is by the Egyptian youth and ordinary people. No party and no organization or leader can take credit for it.

There is solidarity between Muslims and Christians in the streets.

Our question now is not who comes next as a president. Demonstrations were peaceful. However, the police

destroyed property in order to legitimate tightening control.

Facts & Info

Background: State of Emergency Law

• Constitutional provision for emergencies such as war• Been in continuous application since 1981, when Mubarak

assumed power• Prohibits demonstrations, censors newspapers, monitors

personal communications, detains indefinitely without charge• Human Rights Watch reported in 2008 ~ 5,000 detainees

without charge, some longer than 10 yrs• Permits executive to refer civilians to military tribunal courts.

Used in 2006 when civilian courts dismissed charges against 16 Muslim Brotherhood members.

• April 6-7, 2008 used to prevent strike of textile workers in Nile Delta city, al-Mahalla al-Kubra.

Background: Torture

• “We are now uncovering evidence of Egypt being a destination of choice for third-party or contracted out torture in the 'war on terror.‘” Kate Allen, UK Director of Amnesty International, April 11, 2007 article

• Human Rights Watch found that law enforcement officers routinely and deliberately use torture and ill-treatment - in ordinary criminal cases as well as with political dissidents and security detainees - to coerce confessions, extract other information, or simply to punish detainees

Background: Disappearance

• Detaining an individual followed by a denial or refusal to acknowledge the detention, so that the person is deprived the protection of law, constitutes an enforced disappearance that, like torture, is a serious crime under international law.

Background: Impunity

• "In a country where torture remains a serious and systemic problem, the conviction of a mere seven police officers over four years reflects a huge disconnect from reality and leaves hundreds of victims and families without justice," Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch

Background: Anti-Torture Laws Inadequate

The definition of torture in article 126 of the penal code excludes acts of torture for reasons other than the extraction of a confession, such as punishment or intimidation. Egyptian law provides only for sentences ranging from three to five years - penalties not commensurate with the seriousness of the crime of torture. The penal code further gives judges discretion to exercise clemency and reduce sentences, which they frequently do

Background: Witness Intimidation

• “Victims and families of victims who had made complaints of torture consistently told Human Rights Watch that police officials tried to intimidate them to withdraw their complaint or to settle out of court.”

Background: Corrupt Investigations

• Police unit accused of ill-treatment is involved in gathering evidence and summoning witnesses during the prosecutor's preliminary investigation.

• Prosecutors do not properly assess the evidence that police produce or the quality of their investigation.

• Police delay examination by forensic doctor until physical evidence fades, despite prosecutor orders

Background: Emad el-Kebir

• Emad el-Kebir in January 2006 got involved in a dispute between his cousin and the police. Officers filmed themselves sodomized him with a cane and verbally abusing him and distributed the videos to his colleagues to humiliate him and intimidate them.

Background: US Govt Aware

US Ambassador in Cairo, Jan 15, 2009 Secret Cable Published Through Wikileaks

Police brutality in Egypt against common criminals is routine and pervasive. Contacts describe the police using force to extract confessions from criminals as a daily event, resulting from poor training and understaffing. … NGO contacts estimate there are literally hundreds of torture incidents every day in Cairo police stations alone.

Background: Economic Corruption

•Mubarak accelerated process of privatization of state-owned corporations•Govt sold its assets to Mubarak’s family members and

allies for fraction of their worth•Those cronies sold them to investors at true value,

thus gaining tremendous wealth•Production facilities closed to give cronies opportunity

to import•Cronies acquired monopolies in certain commodities,

another great source of wealth

Parliamentary Elections

• Difficult to form new party• One-party system with rigged elections• In 2005, opposition won 1/5th of seats and

govt canceled elections in districts scheduled later in year

• In 2010, opposition won less than 2% of seats• 3 million expatriates not allowed to vote

Presidential Election Fraudulent

Each independent candidate needs to collect 250 endorsing signatures from members of the People’s Assembly (lower house of the parliament), the Shura Council (upper house of the parliament), and municipal councils. Currently, the ruling National Democratic Party dominates all of them by greater than 90 percent majorities.

Presidential Election Fraudulent

Furthermore, the amendment did not provide for full judicial supervision of the presidential election but rather stipulated the formation of a presidential electoral commission composed of five judges and five public figures appointed by the NDP-controlled parliament.

Presidential Election Fraudulent

•No judicial supervision of the presidential election•Presidential electoral commission composed of five judges and five public figures appointed by the NDP-controlled parliament•No lifting of State of Emergency•NDP monopoly on state-controlled media

25 Jan – CairoTahrir Square in Cairo

25 Jan - Cairo

Protests

Protests

Christians and Muslims

26 Jan – CairoPolice violence started

More Violence

More Violence

26 Jan – CairoFires set by police forces

26 Jan – CairoFamous Journalist arrested

& many others

26 Jan - Cairo

27 Jan – SuezTear Gas bombs

This is how Mubarak used the $2 billion financial aid from the US - Against his own people

$1.3 billion for military equipment and the rest for economic assistance

27 Jan EveningEGYPT ISOLATED

28 JanDemonstrators welcoming the army

28 JanDay of Rage

Criminals set free to terrorize people

Police withdrew from streets

Chaos & robbery incidents by criminals released by the ministry of interior

More Chaos & robbery incidents

Neighborhood watch groups protect Cairo streets

Neighborhood watch groups protect Cairo streets

Neighborhood watch groups protect Cairo streets

Curfew from 5 pm to 8 am everyday, not respected by the demonstrators.

Banks are closed, people are running out of cash

Many grocery stores are closed and those open have very limited supplies.

Millions of demonstrators are in the streets now and in every part of Egypt not just Cairo.

The Current Status

The government’s reaction• Mubarak dismissed the cabinet and assigned a deputy president, both

actions not satisfactory to Egyptians

• Prime Minster Omar Suleiman is not accepted by Egyptians and is an extension of the military ruling party.

• The rest of the “new” chosen government are basically the same old cabinet switching roles.

To understand why Egyptians are demonstrating

Help others to understand it too --- share info and spread awareness

Solidarity with Egypt & its people in their strike for freedom

Lobbying: At your governments level At your media level At human organizations

What Do we need from you

Mubarak’s Speech Friday 1/28

For first time since assumption of power in 1981, Mubarak appointed a vice-president. He appointed a new prime minister. Only 5 of the 24 members of the cabinet were dismissed and replaced.

Mubarak’s Speech Tues 2/1

Mubarak declared that he had not intended to seek reelection in September. He did not rule this out, nor did he rule out his son’s nomination. He did not change the cabinet, dissolve the parliament resulting from the recent fraudulent elections, did not lift the State of Emergency and did not discuss constitutional reforms. Nobody trusts his words and promises.

Political Vacuum?

•Deliberate strategy by Mubarak, who never appointed a VP and planned to transfer power to son Gamal•Political parties handcuffed•Society of Muslim Brothers banned•Any independent gaining prominence would be removed from public office, undermined in his projects and discredited.

Political Vacuum?

•Youth who began uprising can form a national unity government with participation of leaders of existing opposition movements, parties, independents and technocrats•Ayman Nour•Amr Moussa•Muhammad elBaradei•Others

Muslim Brotherhood•Began in 1940s as social reform and anti-colonialist

organization•After 1960s purges and repression, ended its secret

organization and renounced violence in achieving its political aspirations• In recent years, members have participated in

parliamentary elections as independents•Member of recently formed opposition coalition

which seeks to negotiate with Egyptian government•Neither marginal nor dominant, est 20-30%•US should not consider a threat