CAIRO: Lawyer and Head of Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization Naguib Gobrael filed a request to Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud urging him to appeal a 15-year sentence meted out to Girguis Baroumy Girguis who was accused of raping a 12-year-old Muslim girl. Qena Criminal Court sentenced Girguis, 23, to 15 years in prison after being convicted of rape in Farshout City. Police arrested Girguis in Nov. 2009 following sectarian clashes that left many homes owned by Copts burnt. Girguis did not attend the hearing for security reasons. "I filed a complaint so that the Prosecutor General can appeal the ruling through the general prosecution, since this is the only way to halt it until he goes to trial in another court," Gobrael told Daily News Egypt. "This is better than appealing before the Appeals Court which could lead to the implementation of the ruling before it goes to another court." Gobrael confirmed that the court ruling was compromised because the court declined to consider an important document issued by the armed forces proving that Girguis was exempt from military service because of sexual impotence, proving that he is incapable of rape. Peter El-Naggar, one of Girguis' lawyers told DNE that Gobrael's complaint is insignificant because the only sound legal action is to file an appeal before the Appeals Court. El-Naggar says that if the Appeals Court accepts the appeal then Girguis will be tried before neither court, but if it is rejected, then the 15-year sentence will hold. The Nagaa Hammady Bishop told DNE that Girguis' lawyers are waiting for the court to officially issue the draft of the ruling in order to appeal it.
