The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales has today issued a statement welcoming the release of Egyptian lawyer Malek Adly.
Mr. Adly was released from jail on 28 August, having been detained since May 2016 for criticising the Egyptian government’s decision to grant Saudi Arabia control of two islands in the Red Sea. Despite his release, charges against Mr. Adly have not been dropped.
BHRC’s Chairwoman Kirsty Brimelow QC said:
“Malek Adly has been subjected to a prolonged period of imprisonment simply for disagreeing with the decisions of his own government. While we welcome his overdue release, we should remember that he should never have been arrested in the first place.
We call on the Egypt to urgently reveiw all remaining charges against Mr. Adly and produce eveidence of alleged criminality. Egypt must move forwards to be accountable for unlawful imprisonment, and provide proper protections for lawyers against unjust persecution, violence and arrests.
BHRC is continuing to work with other organisations, including the International Bar Association, EuroMed Rights and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, to purse accountability and protections for lawyers across Egypt, including Mr. Adly”
(Image credit: Gigi Ibrahim via flickr)
