مركز هشام مبارك للقانون

Hisham Mubarak Law Center Sarando Case Floats Again on the Surface The Military Governor Approves Imprisonment Sentences And Refuses Acquittal Decisions On 16 February 2006 the High State Security Court (Emergency) handed down a decision acquitting Sarando farmers who were charged with bully acts and possessing fire weapons in the case no. 776/2005. The case had begun in January 2005 when Salah Nawar, one of the new feudalists, allegedly accused the farmers of Sarando village, Damanhour, of bully acts, possessing fire weapons, damaging his agricultural land, and arson in an attempt to destroy his property. In response, Damanhour-based General Attorney had referred Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, the peasants' lawyer, to the Criminal Court in charge with inciting peasants. In addition, 26 farmers were accused of assembly, damaging agricultural land, and arson. Throughout interrogations, the farmers had suffered ill-treatment and grave violations inside Damanhour Police Station. Dozens of farmers were illegally arrested, kept into custody and tortured to the extent that a female farmer was killed as a result to the severe and inhumane torture. The torturer Mohamed Amar, who is known as farmers' slaughter, was accused in the case no. 2195/2005. Due to the importance and relevance of this case to human rights, especially social and economic rights, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center steered two legal courses: the first course related to the unconstitutionality of reviewing the case by an emergency court, which constitutes a grave abuse to the standards of fair trial; the second related to defending the farmers and rebutting the trumped-up charges leveled against them. Further, a group of political players and human rights NGOs had formed a defense team; on top of it was Sameh Ashour, Bar Association chairman; to defend the case. After about one year the court on 19 March 2007 handed down a verdict that acquitted 15 defendants and convicted 14, 7 of them in absentia Once again the Sarando case has floated on the surface with the image of the Military Governor at the forefront. The MG had refused to approve the acquittal court decisions, which included the farmers' lawyer and other fourteen farmers, among them seven women; and at the same time approved the conviction sentences handed down against seven co-defendants in Sarando case. 23/3/2008