Egypt, Jordan discuss boosting agricultural cooperation    UK inflation accelerates in June on transport costs    Egypt rejects Gaza tent city proposals    Egypt condemns Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Syria    Al-Sisi reviews Egypt's food security, strategic commodity reserves    Egypt signs strategic agreements to attract global investment in gold, mineral exploration    Syria says it will defend its territory after Israeli strikes in Suwayda    Tut Group launches its operations in Egyptian market for exporting Egyptian products    China's urban jobless rate eases in June '25    Egypt's Health Minister reviews drug authority cooperation with WHO    Egypt urges EU support for Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction at Brussels talks    Pakistan names Qatari royal as brand ambassador after 'Killer Mountain' climb    Health Ministry denies claims of meningitis-related deaths among siblings    Egypt, Mexico explore joint action on environment, sustainability    Egypt, Mexico discuss environmental cooperation, combating desertification    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Egypt's PM urges BRICS to prioritise peace    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Freed activist Ahmed Douma speaks of detention, new revolution
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 12 - 04 - 2012

Blogger and activist Ahmed Douma has been detained by security forces multiple times and was released from his most recent detention on Monday.
He had been remanded to custody for 30 days pending investigations into the violence that erupted last December outside the cabinet building in Cairo. A court also accepted an appeal against accusations Douma was involved in setting fire to the downtown Institut d'Egypte, which houses important scientific manuscripts and other archives, on 17 December.
Al-Masry Al-Youm: How do you see your release?
Ahmed Douma: A historic ruling that I hadn't expected to be issued that way, especially in light of attempts to remove all those with relations to the revolution either in Parliament, the Constituent Assembly or presidential elections, and given the appearance of former regime figures like former VP Omar Suleiman, former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and others. The ruling was issued by a respectful judge, whose name I don't know. He insisted on reviewing the evidence and considering a retrial. He also allowed me to defend myself. I talked for around half an hour from inside the cage. He decreed that I have no relations with the accusations levelled against me and that the evidence was fabricated.
Al-Masry: But you admitted burning Institut d'Egypte?
Douma: I precisely said that revolutionaries have the right to defend themselves against anyone, whether they are in a military uniform or not, especially if they were assaulted by being beaten, harassed or shot. I wondered once if the revolution was sacred or was desecrated by the killing, but said it was within the revolution and revolutionaries' right to defend themselves. However, the judge told me that my talk on burning Institut d'Egypte wasn't direct but implicit.
Al-Masry: How long have you spent at Tora prison?
Douma: Three months and 10 days. Although it's called the prison of the famous, the administration was treating me like a dog. The former officials in Tora used to play football, go to the library and the clinic. They used their iPads and conducted polls on Facebook. No one was allowed to deal with me. During the 100-day period, I spoke to no one and wasn't able to write, however, former Housing Minister [Mohamed] Ibrahim Suleiman was allowed to write a whole book inside the prison.
Al-Masry: How do you see the timing of your release?
Douma: I was astonished at the beginning, but then refused to be controled by that feeling. I then realized that Egypt still has honorable judges who don't wait for instructions from former or current security services.
Al-Masry: How do you evaluate the revolution before and after being imprisoned?
Douma: The revolution was dying before I went to prison. When I went out it was like a corpse.
Al-Masry: What do you think about the nomination of Omar Suleiman and Ahmed Shafiq for president?
Douma: Audacity. Their nomination, plus agreements among the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis with the ruling military military council over sharing the spoils, is the biggest motivation for a second wave of anger. What happened would encourage people to start another revolution.
Al-Masry: And for Mohamed ElBaradei's move to establish a political party?
Douma: A master's strike, a very late step though. However, I agreed with other activists to form a front of the political movements to join his party, to be an umbrella for all revolutionaries apart from any other ideologies.
Al-Masry: Could this party be the nucleus of a new revolution?
Douma: The Brotherhood and Salafis betrayed the revolution from the very beginning. Having a revolution with no leader was great, however, that was a reason for its failure. Egyptians sacrificed 1,800 martyrs then, and they are ready to sacrifice 18,000 more. The new revolutionary status will be totally different, it will not be like the first one. We will not cooperate with the Brotherhood and Salafis. We will hold revolution courts. Our slogan will still be "Freedom or Blood."
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm


Clic here to read the story from its source.