3 - 9 January 2002
Issue No.567
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 3 - 9 January 2002 Issue No.567 |
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Changing their tune
A decision by Sweden to extradite two Egyptian militants marks a shift in attitude among Western nations on political asylum in the wake of 11 September, reports Jailan Halawi
Two Egyptians accused of committing terrorist acts in Egypt were deported from Sweden on Tuesday, 18 December, after their request for political asylum was turned down. Egypt is hoping that the move will spark a trend towards extradition in Western countries -- long accused by the government of providing safe haven for militants due to international disputes about human rights.
The requests for political asylum were rejected after the Swedish intelligence agency, Saepo, discovered that both men held leading positions in an organisation suspected of carrying out terrorist attacks in Egypt. Both Ahmed Hussein Egeiza, 39, and Mohamed Ibrahim Soliman, 40, have been linked to the militant group Jihad, named on the US State Department's list of foreign terrorist organisations.
Egeiza, leader of the clandestine "Vanguards of Conquest" -- an offshoot of Jihad -- was sentenced to life in prison by a military court in Egypt in 1999 in the well- known "returnees from Albania" case. He was also on a list of 14 "most wanted" expatriates issued in December 1997 following the Luxor massacre, which left 58 tourists and four Egyptians dead. Soliman, a key figure in the El-Sharqiya branch of Jihad, is wanted in connection with a series of militant attacks carried out in Egypt.
Though the Egyptian government has applauded the extradition, human rights groups are unnerved by the move. Amnesty International has called for an international protest directed at both the Swedish and Egyptian governments, claiming that there is "significant risk" that the men "will be subjected to torture" in Egypt. Amnesty International spokeswoman Annika Flensburg argued that the use of torture "is widespread and systematic" in Egypt, and insists that Sweden is "violating international law" by deporting the two suspects.
Meanwhile, the Swedish government said it was confident the two men would be treated properly, noting that it had received assurances from Egypt that the Swedish embassy would be allowed to follow the trial and visit the two men.
It is the first time a European court has accepted evidence based on information gathered by intelligence services, even going so far as to act on it by deporting the suspects. Political analysts suggest the move signals a significant shift in strategy among Western countries in the new "war on terrorism," noting that the post- 11 September crackdown in Europe and America could lead to the extradition of numerous expatriate militants.
"Unfortunately, this is a belated response to a threat Egypt has long warned about," Interior Minister Habib El-Adli told the weekly Al-Mussawar. In an interview published last week, El-Adli said that before the 11 September attacks, European countries (excluding Italy, which he praised for its full cooperation), "ignored our requests" and "harboured terrorists" under the slogan of protecting human rights. He added that "these [objections] turned out to be mere claims and excuses, which have now been turned upside down."
"Suddenly," El-Adli noted, "our often- criticised approach is now being mirrored in the West." The US has said it will try foreigners linked to the 11 September attacks in military tribunals, and most European countries are tightening their anti-terrorism laws significantly. Many international human rights groups have strongly criticised Egypt's use of military courts to try Islamists. Sentences passed by military courts cannot be appealed and can only be overturned by the president.
President Hosni Mubarak has long criticised Western nations for refusing to extradite militants wanted in Egypt. Britain has taken the lion's share of criticism as an alleged haven for terrorists. Among the fugitives wanted by Egypt is Yasser El-Serri, sentenced to death in absentia by an Egyptian military court for attempting to assassinate former Prime Minister Atef Sidqi in 1993. El-Serri has repeatedly denied the charge.
El-Serri has now been detained by British police on charges of plotting to kill Afghan rebel leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, but it is unlikely that he will be deported to Egypt. The European human rights convention bans the death penalty and prevents extradition to countries where it still exists.
Jihad and Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya have been fighting to establish a strict Islamic state in Egypt since 1992. More than 1,200 people, mostly militants and policemen, have died in the confrontations.
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