 |
|
Letter from Cairo: Dr. Ibrahim -- Acquitted
By David Danzig
In an instant it was over.
An almost three-year long legal saga, which led to the jailing of
one of Egypt’s most prominent democracy advocates, came to a
close today in the Court of Cassation, Egypt’s highest criminal
court, when the President of the court said, “Saad Eddin Ibrahim
- acquitted.”
Those four words were the extent to which the nine judges that make
up the court spoke of the case against Ibrahim. It was a dramatic
climax to a case that had garnered worldwide attention since Ibrahim,
64, a self-declared “western-style” liberal who has been
critical of the government, seemed to be facing prosecution because
of who he was and what he stood for, not because he had done anything
wrong.
The day of the verdict began at 10 am when the judges wearing their
black robes and green and black sashes entered the courtroom. Almost
immediately the President of the court began reading from a long list
of names, while the more than 100 people in the courtroom looked at
each other and mouthed the words, “other cases.”
Ten minutes later, he got to the last name on the list - the
name that everyone had come to hear. “Thank god, thank god,”
Saad Ibrahim shouted in Arabic when he heard his name attached to
the word “acquitted,” as shouts of joy erupted in the
courtroom.
A few seconds later, the front row where he sat was besieged by more
than two dozen journalists, pushing and shoving to get the first quote
from the newly acquitted man. Ibrahim, who had been convicted twice
in a lower State Security court on charges the Lawyers Committee believes
are baseless, stood up slowly and made the two-fingered sign for victory
and peace.
Visible signs of relief from the tensions the case had brought were
everywhere. Ibrahim’s daughter Randa - a newly minted
attorney who had participated in his defense - was crying. Diplomats
were hugging. And everyone wanted to be near Ibrahim to touch him,
to see him, to hear him speak.
The verdict, though an emotional relief, was not entirely unexpected.
For days leading up to it, Ibrahim and his family had been repeating
the same word over and over again - like a mantra - when
asked what the Court of Cassation would do. “We’re optimistic,”
they would say.
A February hearing went as well as could be expected. Five hours of
defense arguments were countered by barely 15 minutes of presentations
on behalf of the prosecution. The lead judge - who is the only
one who ever speaks in court - asked a series of insightful
questions that showed he had studied the defense team’s briefs
and that he had thought about the case.
Over and over again those who showed up at the court today to support
the Ibrahims reminded each other that this was the court that had
overturned the earlier convictions.
But up until the moment the verdict was delivered there were still
doubts.
“It seems unlikely that they would send him back to jail,”
said one embassy staff person. “I’m betting that they
convict him on one of the charges and then let him go because of time
served. That way the government saves face and he gets to go home.”
After the verdict was read, Ibrahim slowly began to make his way through
the throng of reporters who wanted to talk to him. He’d take
few steps - leaning heavily on a friend because he is still
recovering from a leg injury he sustained while in jail - and
then he would answer questions alternatively in Arabic and English.
Everyone wanted to know what he thought about the verdict. But the
impact this case will have on the larger world remains to be seen.
In many ways this case is about so much more than Saad Eddin Ibrahim.
It’s about the right of Egyptians to be able to freely and publicly
speak their minds without fear that they will be jailed for what they
say. It’s about the courts in Egypt and their ability to fairly
dispense justice and remain independent from an overbearing executive.
And, it’s about the always-touchy relationship between Egypt
and the United States, and whether the United States can play a positive
role in promoting human rights and democracy among its allies in the
region. (The United States inserted itself very publicly into the
debate over this case last fall when it threatened to restrict future
funding to Egypt due to its treatment of Ibrahim. The United States
currently provides the Egyptian government with approximately $2 billion
a year in aid.)
If Ibrahim chooses to continue to be active in promoting democracy
in the region - he has said that he needs to focus on his health
in the near term - many human rights activists believe he will
be an even stronger advocate than he was before his jailing.
“He has won,” said one Egyptian court observer watching
Ibrahim walk past him. “He comes out of this stronger than he
ever was before.”
By 10:45 am Ibrahim had made his way outside the courtroom by walking
a few steps, answering questions and then walking some more. The questions
from journalists were only interrupted by a handful of women who half-shouted,
half-whistled cries of joy when they saw him emerge from the courtroom.
After a few more handshakes, hugs and answered questions Ibrahim made
it out of the court’s doors, into a waiting car and off he drove,
a free man.
David Danzig is the Deputy Communications Director of the Lawyers
Committee for Human Rights. He was in Cairo to attend the trial
of Dr. Ibrahim.
|
|
|
