Irwin Cotler, Liberal Justice and Human Rights Critic, and NDP MP Wayne Marston today called for the immediate release of 26-year old Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil – one of the early leaders in the Tahrir Square Revolution and of the launch of the “Egyptian Spring” – who was convicted last March and sentenced by a military tribunal to three years in prison in a trial devoid of legality.
Maikel Nabil – one of the first political prisoners of the post-Mubarak era – jailed for exercising rights protected under Egyptian law and for defending minority rights – is on the 87th day of a hunger strike with his life hanging by a thread.
Mr. Cotler and Mr. Marston – Vice-Chairs of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights – urged the Canadian government to continue to make representations at the highest level with a view to securing his release and quashing of all charges with all deliberate speed.
This week, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights unanimously adopted the following motion:
That, whereas 26-year old Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil was one of the leaders in Tahrir Square and the launching of the Egyptian spring;
Whereas Mr. Nabil initially supported the notion that the Egyptian “army and the people are of one hand” but later stated they were “not of one hand” and for this he was charged with “insulting the Egyptian military”;
Whereas Mr. Nabil was convicted in a sham trial devoid of due process by a military tribunal and was sentenced to three years in prison;
Whereas Mr. Nabil became one of the first political prisoners in the post-Mubarak era for exercising rights protected under Egyptian law;
Whereas Mr. Nabil defended minority rights – that of the Christian Copt minority of which he is a member – and the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty; and
Whereas Mr. Nabil is on the 82nd day of a hunger strike with his life hanging by a thread;
That the Subcommittee urges the Egyptian authorities to immediately release Maikel Nabil and drop all charges; and
Calls upon the Canadian government to continue to make representations at the highest level with a view to secure his release with all deliberate speed.
With today’s press conference on Parliament Hill, Mr. Cotler – serving as international legal counsel to Maikel Nabil at the request of his family – launched an international advocacy campaign on his behalf.
Contact: 613-995-0121 – Judith Abitan
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