For Immediate Release:

U.S. solidarity pickets demand release of jailed Egyptian protesters When: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at 12:30PM
Where: 500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite # 1900
Contact: Sherry Wolf, 773-991-3877 (Chicago), sherrywolf2000 (at) yahoo.com

Activists in the U.S. will picket the Egyptian embassy and consulates in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and San Francisco on Tuesday, May 9 at 12:30PM (local times) demanding the immediate release of all jailed pro-democracy protesters arrested from April 24–27, 2006, in Cairo. Dozens of opponents of Egypt’s authoritarian government were assaulted and arrested after riot police attacked a demonstration in support of reformist judges who are challenging election fraud. Journalists covering the protests have been attacked and threatened by police, and in a separate incident, the chief of the Al Jazeera TV bureau has also been arrested.

The largest protests took place April 27 as two judges, Hesham al-Bastawissi and Mahmoud Mekky, were due to be brought before a disciplinary panel after they accused the government of fraud in parliamentary elections late last year—and charged fellow judges with complicity. President Hosni Mubarak’s government put a massive number of cops on the street in Cairo—estimated at 10,000 by the New York Times, much larger than the force deployed in the Sinai after three bombing attacks earlier in the week.

One of the judges’ supporters, Mohammed Sayed Said, told Al Jazeera, “This display of force is a return to the policies of oppression and to a police state. But all this will not succeed in reimposing a culture of fear. The people have already defeated it and they are ready to pay with their blood for democratic change,” At least 50 activists were jailed and are expected to be held for 15 days, according to reports.

U.S. solidarity activists are joining others around the world to demand the immediate release of Egyptian democracy protesters, and an end to state repression of judges, activists and the media who have exposed electoral fraud, state violence and corruption.

For More information:
Information from the Committee to Protect Journalists: www.cpj.org/news/2006/mideast/egypt27apr06na.html.
Background on the judges' anti-fraud campaign from Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/04/25/egypt13269.htm