From few hours ago Egypt has lost one of its famous human rights defenders lawyers and human rights activists MR. Ahmed Seif El-Islam Abdel Fattah.
Seif El-Islam died in coma after a cardiac arrest he got following an open heart surgery in Cairo.
Originally a leftist , Seif El-Islam defended the rights of people in Egypt since late 1980s regardless of their ideological beliefs. Since the 1980s Ahmed Seif El-Islam defended the rights of political detainees whether liberals or Islamists or socialists or Nasserites. He was from the few that kept their humanity and refused to turn in to a monster in a world full of monsters.
A victim of torture himself during his detention in time of Mubarak , Seif El-Islam who headed Hisham Mubarak center for human rights for some time was vocal against torture against humans as well sick police practices during the Mubarak era as well after the revolution.
During Mohamed Morsi’s short era , the 63 years layer who was appointed in the National council for human rights was from the first people to resign from his position to object the infamous constitutional declaration issued during then. After the 30th June Ahmed Seif El-Islam was from the first prominent figures to describe the dispersal of Rabaa as a massacre from a year ago.
In a sad irony the last client for Mr. Seif El-Islam was his son Alaa Abdel Fattah who is currently in jail serving 15 years for unauthorized protesting. Ahmed Seif El-Islam’s youngest daughter Sanaa is always in jail pending a trial for unauthorized protesting as well.
Yes two of his three kids are currently in jail while he was dying. Yes they saw him in ICU for the last time once from two weeks ago.
Alaa started a food strike following that last visit demanding his release.
The son of the old activist seeking democracy in Egypt already has started a movement in the Egyptian prisons and more political detainees started hunger strike demanding their release. I should have written a post about this growing movement earlier this week.
Yesterday Mada Misr published a letter written by Alaa from prison demanding his release to be with his family , with his father in those hard times.
Yes those are the kids of Seif El-Islam and his wife long time activist Laila Soueif besides his eldest daughter Mona Seif , the founder of No for military trials for the civilians movement in Egypt.
I feel extremely sad and angry. Neither he or his kids should suffer like this. I wish that we would have a president who would mourn such human rights defender. Unfortunately the time has not come to have this sort of presidents in Egypt.
From several months he was in some public conference and he said the following :
Mr. Seif El-Islam Abdel Fattah , your children did not inherit jails but they rather inherited honor, respect and humanity.
Tomorrow the funeral of Ahmed Seif El-Islam will be held at Salah El-Din Mosque in Al-Manial area after El-Asr prayer. There is a FB event calling the people to participate in the funeral.
Alaa and Sanaa Abdel Fattah’s lawyer presented a request to the ministry of interior to let both political detainees to attend their dad’s funeral and burial.
Seif El-Islam died in coma after a cardiac arrest he got following an open heart surgery in Cairo.
Originally a leftist , Seif El-Islam defended the rights of people in Egypt since late 1980s regardless of their ideological beliefs. Since the 1980s Ahmed Seif El-Islam defended the rights of political detainees whether liberals or Islamists or socialists or Nasserites. He was from the few that kept their humanity and refused to turn in to a monster in a world full of monsters.
A victim of torture himself during his detention in time of Mubarak , Seif El-Islam who headed Hisham Mubarak center for human rights for some time was vocal against torture against humans as well sick police practices during the Mubarak era as well after the revolution.
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| By Carlos Latuff |
In a sad irony the last client for Mr. Seif El-Islam was his son Alaa Abdel Fattah who is currently in jail serving 15 years for unauthorized protesting. Ahmed Seif El-Islam’s youngest daughter Sanaa is always in jail pending a trial for unauthorized protesting as well.
Yes two of his three kids are currently in jail while he was dying. Yes they saw him in ICU for the last time once from two weeks ago.
Alaa started a food strike following that last visit demanding his release.
The son of the old activist seeking democracy in Egypt already has started a movement in the Egyptian prisons and more political detainees started hunger strike demanding their release. I should have written a post about this growing movement earlier this week.
Yesterday Mada Misr published a letter written by Alaa from prison demanding his release to be with his family , with his father in those hard times.
Therefore, I am asking your permission today to fight — not just for my freedom, but for my family's right to life. As of today, I am depriving my body of food until I am able to be at the side of my father in his fight with his own body, for the dignity of the body needs the embrace of loved ones.Alaa said in a very touching letter in a very difficult time.
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| Ahmed Seif in court by Sarah Carr |
I feel extremely sad and angry. Neither he or his kids should suffer like this. I wish that we would have a president who would mourn such human rights defender. Unfortunately the time has not come to have this sort of presidents in Egypt.
From several months he was in some public conference and he said the following :
My son I wanted you to inherit democratic society that guards your rights but instead I passed on the prison cell that held me and now holds you.
Mr. Seif El-Islam Abdel Fattah , your children did not inherit jails but they rather inherited honor, respect and humanity.
Tomorrow the funeral of Ahmed Seif El-Islam will be held at Salah El-Din Mosque in Al-Manial area after El-Asr prayer. There is a FB event calling the people to participate in the funeral.
Alaa and Sanaa Abdel Fattah’s lawyer presented a request to the ministry of interior to let both political detainees to attend their dad’s funeral and burial.
اعتذر للى مردتش عليه بمنش لازم انام تصبحوا على خير وارجعلكم تانى طول ما فى العمر بقية وخليهم يقولوا زى ما هم عايزين طول بوصلة الحرية موجودة
— ahmed seif hamad (@seifhamad) October 9, 2013
I apologize if I do not answer your twitter mentions but I have to sleep , good night and I will come back if there was time more to live. Let them say whatever they want as long as the freedom compass is still there.
By Platon
#RIP Ahmed Seif El-Islam
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