Egyptian initiative for personal rights renewed today its demands for immediate release of five individuals who have been arrested since late last May because of their religious beliefs. The organization also called upon the Attorney General to conduct an immediate investigation in the torture of at least one detainee who was beaten and threatened with rape during his detention at the National Security headquarter in Shubra alKheima.

The five detainees face-in addition to two local residents outside the country- the charge of (the exploitation of religion in promoting extremist ideas with contempt of the Islamic religion that denied the prophet tradition and considered Quran is the main source of legislation). There has been no decision yet to send the accused to trial.

Adel Ramadan, their lawyer, said that: "It is not the right of the National Security to arrest citizens because of their religious beliefs. It is not the right of the State Security Prosecution to investigate the consciences of citizens in search of religious beliefs to fit under the infamous article of the Penal Code which punishes individuals based on their ideas, contrary to the Egyptian Constitution and international law. "

The National Security officers in 29th of May arrested Abdul Latif Mohammed Ahmed, Ahmed Mohamed Dahmash, Abdul Hamid Mohamed Abdel Rahman by decision of the Interior Minister to use the emergency law. Two days later, by a similar decision, Amr Tharwat was arrested. On June 17 they arrested Ayman Mohammed Abdel Rahman-lawyer. Detainees were unable to contact relatives or lawyers until June 21, four days after the start of investigation before the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Case No. 494 of 2007 (Supreme State Security). The list includes both the indictment Ahmed Subhy Mansour, Othman Mohamed Ali residing outside the country.

A lawyer for the Egyptian initiative for personal rights, who attended the investigations before the state security prosecution, said that the questions investigators are confined to the religious beliefs of the detainees. The State Security Prosecution charges against them, including (a denial of apostasy penalty, and the denial of the stoning of the adulterer and to allow not reciting Altashahod during prayers!).

In an investigation on June 28 Abdul Latif Mohammed Ahmed proved before the State Security Prosecution that he was subjected to torture, where he was beaten on the face and back, and threatened to rape to force him to confess, during his detention at the National Security headquarters in Shubra alKhima.

Lawyer of the Egyptian initiative for personal rights appealed in July third the decision of arresting the four defendants for more than a month as required by the Emergency Law. The State Security Court decided in 12th and 14th of July to end arrest of Abdul Latif Mohammed Ahmed and Abdul Hamid Mohamed Abdel Rahman, Tharwat Amr Baz, while keeping the appeal submitted by Ahmed Mohamed Damish. According to the emergency law, the right of the Interior Ministry appealed the decision to release within ten days of its issuance.

Adel Ramadan said: "We call on the Ministry of Interior not to appeal the decision of the State Security Court and released three detainees immediately. We intend to appeal against the arrest of the rest of the group on schedule. "

It worth mentioning that the Supreme State Security Court had issued a decision to imprison the accused on remand the case for 15 days "starts since the expiry of their detention", without specifying the date of the beginning of the remand or justified and is attached to the prosecution authority to release the defendants on the willingness of the Minister of the Interior. On June 25 prosecution refrained from accepting the resumption counsel Egyptian initiative against this flawed decision, which prompted the Egyptian initiative for personal rights to file a lawsuit before the urgent Administrative Court to demand forcing prosecutors to accept the appeal, consideration was in a 7-3, and expected to be held in July 31.