التاريخ : الاثنين 05 يناير 2009 . القسم :
When The Legislative Authority Turns Into A Humanitarian Tragedy
A legislative authority represents the people and is responsible for passing laws, legislations, systems, and bills that regulate all aspects of life for achieving the general interest. This is what gives a legislative authority its status of providing parliamentary protection to its people helping them to carry out their work without any pressure.
Although legislative authorities around the world enjoy this status, the legislative authority in Egypt doesn"t. This was clearly show as Egyptian authorities arrested Former MP Dr. Sayyed Abdel-Hamid on August 28 along with his guests who had come to him for help in getting a job or medical treatment at the state"s expense although he was only a former MP representing Abu Kebir district in Sharqiyya for the parliamentary term 2000-2005.
Violations weren"t limited to his arrest along with his guests but extended to a series of inhumane violations that not only disregarded his position as a former MP but also his severe health conditions after being left to bleed.
The first of these violations were the state security"s seizing control over anything they saw in his house after raiding it from money and cell phones to gold that belonged to his daughter worth 5000 Egyptian pounds and his computer. Not to mention their raiding the house in a barbarous manner causing great damages to it.
Immediately following Abdel-Hamid"s arrest, neighbors and families in the neighborhood yelled at the security forces and threw stones at them protesting against his arrest and cordoning off of the area besieging it with a great number of security men.
Abdul-Hamid was presented before prosecution who laid the usual charges against him of affiliation with a banned and illegitimate movement. His detainment was also extended over and over again until it reached 45 days of precautionary detainment. Then the prosecution decided to release him due to his deteriorating health conditions as he suffered life-threatening hemorrhoid inflation as he was left to bleed inside the cell. Upon his release he was taken to the Gamiyyah hospital where doctors confirmed his dire need of an urgent and speedy operation.
After taking the necessary tests and was finally prepared to undergo the operation he was detained again on the same day according to a decision issued by the Ministry of Interior, a flagrant violation of the right to medical treatment. A week after the decision was issued and as his health conditions were further deteriorating, it was decided that he be sent to undergo an operation at the Tora hospital where he suffered greatly undergoing three operations as a result of sitting still on the ground for 45 days.
Moreover, as soon as he was under the effect of anesthetics, the electric current was turned off returning right before the effect was over, a very straining situation for any patient. Then a decision was issued ordering his release after the Defense Authority presented a grievance against the detainment decision and the session was determined to be held on December 2 at the North Cairo Court. The Ministry of Interior, however, objected and called for the session to be held on December 23 at the Criminal Court which, in the end, did not release him.
It is worthy mentioning that Sayyed Abdel-Hamid had been detained three times in the years 1981, 1995, and 2008 before his last detainment. He was born on February 18, 1957 in Abu Kebir. He is married and has five children. As a Doctor, he worked at the Zaqazeeq Public hospital heading the Rheumatism Department. He was one of the student symbols during the 70s as he was a member of the Local Council in the 90s and member of the 2000 parliament.