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Court issues reasons for overturning verdict against Egyptian- American sociologist
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The lawyer for an Egyptian-American sociologist charged with tarnishing Egypt's image said on Friday that an appeals court has issued its reasons for overturning convictions against him.
The Court of Cassation on Dec. 3 ruled that convictions against Saad Eddin Ibrahim, a university professor and prominent democracy campaigner, be overturned because central allegations in the prosecution's case contradicted each other, according to lead defense lawyer Ibrahim Saleh. Ibrahim, 64, was convicted May 21, 2001, and sentenced to seven years prison for tarnishing Egypt's image, accepting foreign money without government approval and embezzling funds. Saleh said the appeals court - in its verdict justifications issued Thursday - said it was contradictory to find that Ibrahim could both accept and embezzle money from a foreign body - the European Union - at the same time.
The European Union has said in an affidavit that it did not believe there was any misuse of US$250,000 it granted to Ibrahim's Cairo- based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, which campaigned for political and economic reform in the Arab world, and is an outspoken campaigner for human rights and democracy.
Saleh told The Associated Press that the money was granted according to "a civil contract" between Ibrahim and the EU.
Court officials were not immediately available for comment on the release of the verdict reasoning as Friday is a public holiday in Cairo. At least five of the appeals court's seven judges will preside over Ibrahim's retrial starting Feb. 4, which will be his third trial on the charges.
Saleh told The Associated Press that he had submitted a 113-page appeal to the Court of Cassation last month, citing 14 errors in the July verdict. Ibrahim spent eight months in prison after his first conviction and had been jailed since the July conviction. If convicted again and returned to prison, Ibrahim will have exhausted his court appeals.
He and 27 others, mostly staff members, were arrested in July 2000 after announcing they would monitor Egypt's 2000 parliamentary elections. The center had said the 1995 elections were rigged.
The Court of Cassation on Dec. 3 ruled that convictions against Saad Eddin Ibrahim, a university professor and prominent democracy campaigner, be overturned because central allegations in the prosecution's case contradicted each other, according to lead defense lawyer Ibrahim Saleh. Ibrahim, 64, was convicted May 21, 2001, and sentenced to seven years prison for tarnishing Egypt's image, accepting foreign money without government approval and embezzling funds. Saleh said the appeals court - in its verdict justifications issued Thursday - said it was contradictory to find that Ibrahim could both accept and embezzle money from a foreign body - the European Union - at the same time.
The European Union has said in an affidavit that it did not believe there was any misuse of US$250,000 it granted to Ibrahim's Cairo- based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, which campaigned for political and economic reform in the Arab world, and is an outspoken campaigner for human rights and democracy.
Saleh told The Associated Press that the money was granted according to "a civil contract" between Ibrahim and the EU.
Court officials were not immediately available for comment on the release of the verdict reasoning as Friday is a public holiday in Cairo. At least five of the appeals court's seven judges will preside over Ibrahim's retrial starting Feb. 4, which will be his third trial on the charges.
Saleh told The Associated Press that he had submitted a 113-page appeal to the Court of Cassation last month, citing 14 errors in the July verdict. Ibrahim spent eight months in prison after his first conviction and had been jailed since the July conviction. If convicted again and returned to prison, Ibrahim will have exhausted his court appeals.
He and 27 others, mostly staff members, were arrested in July 2000 after announcing they would monitor Egypt's 2000 parliamentary elections. The center had said the 1995 elections were rigged.
