Egypt: Ahmed Douma remains in custody despite completing prison sentence

The Egyptian authorities continue to arbitrarily detain Ahmad Douma despite having completed his prison sentence. Following his return to Egypt from the Gaza Strip at the end of Israel's offensive against Gaza, Egypt's Military Court sentenced Ahmed Douma, an Egyptian citizen, to one year's imprisonment on 10 February 2009 on charges of illegally entering of Gaza. The same court also sentenced his colleague, Ahmad Kamal, without any legal basis, for "intending to travel" to Gaza.

The Egyptian authorities not only issued unfair sentences against Ahmad Douma and Ahmad Kamal but refused to release them after having completed their sentences on 5 Feburary 2010. On the same day, Ahmad Douma was taken from Damanhour prison and transferred to Damanhour police station where he remained until 7 February 2010. He was then taken to the Cairo Security Directorate where he remained until 9 Feburary 2010, after which he spent another day in Ismailia Security Department and finally ended up in Al-Arish police station where he now remains detained. Throughout this entire imprisonment and sequence of transfers he was never the subject of any legal proceedings whatsoever. As for Ahmad Kamal, he remains in the custody of Assiout Central Prison.

Alkarama had previously submitted Ahmad Douma's case to the Special Rapporteur on Torture on 18 December 2009 after learning that he was brutally tortured while in custody at Assiout prison. Alkarama will submit both of their cases to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in due course.