As the justice system in Egypt grows more selective, the judiciary appears more interested in setting political scores and punishing dissent than establishing justice. Sallam is by no means alone in suffering injustice at the hands of a state determined to crack down on independent NGOs, clear the streets and universities of protest, lock up thousands with a blatant disregard for due process rights and give carte blanche to security forces to kill and torture with impunity. But in unjustly locking up Sallam, a human rights defender, authorities are trampling not just on her rights, but also on the rights of countless victims of violations she has dedicated her life to protect despite the risks. With Sallam’s verdict approaching, one tries to remain hopeful against the odds. Last month, at the United Nations general assembly, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi renewed his promise of “a new Egypt, a state that respects rights and freedoms … enforces the rule of law, guarantees freedom of opinion for all”. Such promises ring hollow as long as Sallam and thousands of others find themselves arbitrarily locked up, at the mercy of a judiciary that routinely denies victims the protection of the law, while allowing perpetrators to evade justice. theguardian/commentisfree/2014/oct/23/justice-in-egypt-yara-sallam-imprisonment-president-sisi
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:17:19 +0000
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