What has been the impact of the Ahmed El-Gizawi case on Egypt and its relations with Saudi Arabia, asks Doaa El-Bey Charges were officially brought in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday against Egyptian lawyer and human rights activist Ahmed El-Gizawi for possessing illegal pharmaceutical drugs. The case will now be passed from the country's drugs administration to the pre-trial committee, and the verdict is expected in 18 days. The committee will decide whether to call for the death penalty, amputation or stoning, possible penalties under Saudi law, before passing the case to a religious court. The detention of El-Gizawi in Saudi Arabia over two weeks ago led to strains in Egyptian-Saudi relations and the temporary closure of the Saudi embassy in Cairo and two Saudi consulates in Alexandria and Suez. The case also cast light on issues such as the role played by Egyptian embassies abroad, the fate of Egyptian prisoners detained in Saudi Arabia, and the post-revolutionary opinions of the Egyptian people. Egypt's Foreign Ministry and the Egyptian consulates in Saudi Arabia were accused this week of failing to provide information on the case, commentators arguing that had information been provided this could have stopped protesters from marching on the Saudi embassy in Cairo in order to show their anger. Yet, apart from sporadic statements, no official statement giving details of the case was issued. Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said last week that the ministry was committed to providing legal support to El-Gizawi. Ministry spokesperson Amr Roshdi said the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah were making urgent contacts with the Saudi authorities in order to try to secure El-Gizawi's release. The ministry statement came one day after an official statement was released by Ahmed El-Kattan, Saudi ambassador in Egypt, explaining the details of the case. The statement said that El-Gizawi has been apprehended at Jeddah airport, allegedly in possession of more than 21,000 narcotic pills. El-Gizawi was at first reported to have been detained for insulting the Saudi monarch, which can be punished by one year in prison and 20 lashes. Al-Kattan denied these reports, saying that Saudi law does not punish foreign citizens for crimes committed outside the country. Mohamed El-Meneisi, head of expatriate affairs at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, said that consular staff had done all they could to assist El-Gizawi. Judicial investigations carried out in any country were a matter for that country's authorities, he said. "The diplomatic mission cannot attend the investigation of its citizens, or provide legal support unless it is given permission to do so by the authorities of the country concerned," El-Meneisi told Al-Ahram Weekly. Egyptian consul in Jeddah Maher El-Mahdi visited El-Gizawi late last week to check on his condition and to inquire on the legal support he needs. Meanwhile, some commentators have been arguing that the El-Gizawi case is an opportunity to raise the cases of other Egyptians detained in Saudi Arabia. Some human rights activists have claimed that thousands of Egyptians are currently being detained in Saudi Arabia, but Ahmed Ragheb, head of the Foreign Ministry department for consular and expatriate affairs, told Al-Ahram this week that the true number was 70. Of these, 34 have been released, eight have been sentenced to life in prison, and the fate of the rest is being discussed, Ragheb said. However, Al-Kattan told Egyptian MPs that there were between 600 and 700 sentenced Egyptian prisoners in Saudi Arabia, in addition to a further 63 detained without sentence. One diplomat who talked on condition of anonymity told the Weekly that at a time when Egypt is keen to bring its relations with Saudi Arabia back to normal, it would be reluctant to open the controversial issue of Egyptian prisoners in the country. "Besides, Egyptian officials have more pressing issues to deal with," he said. Abdel-Raouf El-Reidi, a senior diplomat and former ambassador to the US, said the file "should remain open until we reach fair rules and laws for Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia." However, El-Reidi added, "we can give it a break until the tension eases. Then we can reopen it and discuss it in a quiet and diplomatic manner away from provocation," he told the Weekly. Khaled Abu Bakr, a lawyer, preferred not to talk until the trial of El-Gizawi concludes. "If he is guilty, we apologise, and if he is not guilty, we can discuss it," Abu Bakr told the Weekly. Bahieddin Hassan, director of the Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies, said that he wished to keep the issue open until it is resolved. "But, now when Egypt is in a deep political crisis, the issue will not move forward in our favour," he said. "Besides, El-Gizawi's case put us in a weak position in which the authorities seek to appease Saudi Arabia rather than look for the dignity of the Egyptian citizen," he added. El-Gizawi had previously filed a lawsuit against Saudi monarch king Abdullah and the Saudi authorities, accusing them of the arbitrary detention and physical abuse of Egyptians in Saudi Arabia. Many commentators think that this lawsuit could have been the reason for his subsequent arrest and detention. Demonstrators in front of the Saudi embassy in Cairo protested against the arrest of El-Gizawi, and the chaotic scenes may point to serious post-revolutionary problems among Egyptians. The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, defended the protests as a reflection of Egyptians wanting to stand up for their rights and preserve the dignity of fellow citizens visiting, living or working in Arab countries. The protests began last week and led to Saudi Arabia's decision to temporarily close its embassies and consulates in Egypt and to recall its ambassador. Ali Leila, a sociology professor at Ain Shams University in Cairo, said that the protests were evidence of behavioural problems. Over the last 30 years, he told the Weekly, people have suffered politically, economically and morally. Egypt's rulers had subjected the population to repression and corruption, and people were now expressing their anger indiscriminately. "We need at least five years to restore the economy, 10 years to attain a proper political life, and at least 15 years to re-establish morals," Leila said. Egyptians need to understand how to differ with others, said El-Meneisi. "It's good to differ with others as it creates an opportunity for discussion of differences and reaching compromises. However, differences should be governed by the manner, principles and morals that we are brought up on."
