Egypt

When I started my hunger strike since nearly 40 days, many people tried to convince me to end my strike... Of the most opinions I heard was the religious point of view, which is summarized for: the hunger strike is a type of suicide, the one who commits suicide is an infidel, the church doesn’t make a prayer on strikers if they died, their destiny is eternal torture... It’s funny that the religious Christians and religious Muslims, together, had the same point of view.

Visit of friends and relatives denied by prison authorities

The support group of Maikel Nabil Sanad informed that imprisoned Egyptian conscientious objector and critic of the military Maikel Nabil Sanad, who is on hunger strike since 23 August, began a thirst strike on Monday, 12 September 2011.

Maikel Nabil Sanad – still on hunger strike – again limited thirst strike

The support group of Maikel Nabil Sanad informed that the military has now set the date for the appeal of Egyptian conscientious objector and critic of the military for 1 November 2011. However, War Resisters' International, Connection e.V., and DFG-VK Hesse still demand the immediate and unconditional release, because the sentence is a grave violation of human rights.

Since 23 August, imprisoned pacifist blogger and conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad is on hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment. On 30 August, he escalated his hunger strike to include a thirst strike.

Communication addressed to the Government on 23 June 2011

Concerning: Maikel Nabil Sanad

The State is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established in resolution 1991/42 of the former Commission on Human Rights. The mandate of the Working Group was clarified and extended in resolution 1997/50. The Human Rights Council assumed the mandate in its decision 2006/102. The mandate was extended for a further three-year period in resolution 15/18 of 30 September 2010.

War Resisters' International calls for release of unjustly imprisoned Egyptian blogger

Note: This is a flier which can be downloaded as PDF and distributed on 2 September, the International Day of Action in support of Maikel Nabil Sanad (or on any other day). There is also an OpenDocument version attached, which can be edited.

War Resisters' International calls for release of unjustly imprisoned blogger

On Tuesday, 23 August 2011, imprisoned pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad began a hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment, and delays in dealing with his appeal. Today, one week later, he escalated his hunger strike and now also refuses to drink. In his declaration of hunger strike from 23 August 2011, he wrote that he had decided: "to go on a hunger strike, starting from today. Should there be no response, I will escalate my hunger strike to include water and medicines. It will continue until death or until I am set free." [1]

War Resisters' International calls for release of unjustly imprisoned blogger

War Resisters' International, the international pacifist network with more than 80 affiliated organisations in more than 40 countries, calls on the Egyptian authorities to release imprisoned pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad. Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested at the end of March 2011, and sentenced to three years' imprisonment on charges of violation of article 184 of the Egyptian penal code, which criminalizes "insulting the People’s Assembly, the Shura Council or any State Authority, or the Army or the Courts", and article 102, "spreading false information". His trial in front of a military court and sentencing did not meet international legal standards [1].

War Resisters’ International, Connection e.V. and DFG-VK Hesse call for an International Day of Action for imprisoned Egyptian conscientious objector, critic of the military and blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad. We ask groups and organisations to join the actions on 2 September 2011: Free Maikel Nabil Sanad.

Greetings,

From 11 to 15 May – Andreas Speck, WRI's Right to Refuse to Kill programme worker, and Igor Seke, conscientious objector from Serbia – visited Egypt, originally to act as facilitators and resource persons in two workshops on conscientious objection, pacifism, and military service, which were planned with Maikel Nabil Sanad before his arrest on 28 March 2011. Andreas Speck also visited Cairo in early April 2011, during the trial of Maikel Nabil Sanad.

Impressions from (post)-revolutionary Egypt

From 11 to
15 May we – Andreas Speck, WRI's Right to Refuse to Kill programme
worker, and Igor Seke, conscientious objector from Serbia – visited
Egypt, originally to act as facilitators and resource persons in two
workshops on conscientious objection, pacifism, and military service,
which were planned with Maikel Nabil Sanad before his arrest on 28
March 2011