CAIRO: A student blogger has been detained for 15 days without trial after “turning himself in to security.
Mohamed Rafat Bayoumi, mass communication student at Cairo University, was not at home when security raided his house around midnight on July 21. Lawyers acting on behalf of Bayoumi told Daily News Egypt that security confiscated the student’s hard drive and took various political party pamphlets that the student had collected.
“Bayoumi was at the movies when security came to the house. They warned his father that if his son didn’t show up at State Security headquarters the following morning he would ‘experience the power of the police, and they would come back using force,’ said lawyer Sayid Abdel-Ghani.
According to a statement released by ‘The board for defense of Arab Students’ Rights’ security entered Bayoumi’s house to arrest him for alleged acts of public agitation and disturbing the peace, as well as calling for strikes.
“Security claimed he had called readers of his blog to launch public demonstrations to commemorate the July 23 revolution, Waleed El-Masry, coordinator of The Committee for Arab Students’ Rights, told Daily News Egypt. Bayoumi, author of personal blog ‘Al-Matabat,’ went to State Security headquarters the following day, where he was sent straight to Tora Prison.
Two days later he was presented to the public prosecution office, where he was given a 15-day detention.
On Aug. 4, after 15 days in prison, he was again presented to the public prosecution office, where his sentence was renewed for another 15 days.
“Bayoumi has not received attention from Human Rights groups or the local press, said El-Masry, “because he is not affiliated with any political associations or parties. We hope that will change in the next few days, where we will be taking our activities further and holding a demonstration to campaign for his release.
