BEHEIRA: Twenty-three families left their homes and fled to their fields on Tuesday in an attempt to escape forces mobilized by local 'land thugs' in Ezbet Muharram, in Beheira, formers told Daily News Egypt. Under the advice of the Solidarity Board for Egyptian Farmers, the families left their houses for their fields on Saturday after rumors began circulating that they would be forcibly evicted from their land and those present would be forced to sign rental contracts. Ezbet Muharram is one of the numerous farms once owned by the Baroudi family. Since 1958, it has been part of late President Gamal Abdel Nasser's land reform program and is now legally owned by former farm workers and their descendants. However, a distant descendent of the Baroudi family, Zeinat El-Baroudi claims that she is the rightful heir to the Baroudi estate. "In 1986, Zeinat El-Baroudi .went to court claiming she should legally own the land. Due to major flaws in the legal system, the judge did not take what would seem to be basic legal procedures and check the status of the land in the land registry, said Bashir Saqr, coordinator of the Board of Solidarity with Egyptian Farmers. El-Baroudi proceeded to portion off the land and sell it at a fraction of its real value to local buyers. Badri Abu Khiyar, a local mayor, who locals say has strong links to the police force, has bought 22 feddans of Ezbet Muharram. "Abu Khiyar and Baroudi have made an unregistered, preliminary contract for the sale, but now they need to secure the deal by evicting the farmers. According to farmers, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, five men were invited for negotiations by would-be landowner Abu Khiyar at the Rahmania Police Station. "As they finished negotiations they left the station, only to be arrested and taken to the local state security station, where they were beaten until they agreed to sign rent contracts, said one farmer. Three men, Mohamed Khattab, Abdu Al-Asar and Medhat Samir allege that they signed contracts under duress, while a fourth, Nazim El-Tawail - when it was realized his land was not included in the sale of 22 feddans - was released. A fifth, El-Sayed Abdel Salam Maqawi, is still being held, with farmers claiming he is being subjected to torture by electric shocks after refusing to sign the contract. Daily News Egypt witnessed a large mobilization of private cars and police vehicles stationed on the road parallel to the Muharram estate. Initially farmers were afraid to approach officers in the case they may to be forced, under torture, to sign away their property. However, reports later reached Cairo that three impassioned minors, after hurling mud and abusive language at officers, were later sent to hospital with minor injuries, one having had his leg broken by police. Later that afternoon, activists staged a protest against farmer-targeted actions in Bourlus, where citizens have been in reportedly "under siege conditions for several weeks. Residents of Bourlus have led strong antigovernment reprisals after the local governor stopped deliveries of subsided wheat to the city. Following a barrage of antigovernment slogans, Kefaya activist Karima Hifnawy announced that three farmers had been killed in Ezbet Muharram. After investigation by Daily News Egypt and independent reporters, this was proved to be false. Other sources from a nearby estate said that three farmers were injured, not dead, by live bullets and were being treated in hospital. According to police, the bullets were fired by an independent prospective buyer, Ghadaby and Al Safy Makram, of another portion of land exploiting the chaos. The police arrested six of their alleged associates and they were questioned by the prosecutor's office Wednesday. However, journalists and activists are still investigating these claims. The Baroudi case is part of a nascent phenomenon of what has been labeled by journalists and activists as terrorization of farmers by "land gangs exploiting the relaxation of land laws since the 1970s. "There has been no official law that has reversed the land reforms of the 1950s, which renders what the 'land gangs' actions entirely illegal according to law, said Saqr. "However, the government does not want to have a law passed, which would require debate and take up time in the People's Assembly as well as angering public opinion. "Here you don't need the law and no-one is accountable, especially in isolated backwaters.
