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The Honorable James Risch
Chairman
Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
483 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 2051
The Honorable Bob Menendez
Ranking Member
Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Eliot L. Engle
Foreign Affairs Committee
United States House of Representatives
2426 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Michael McCaul
Foreign Affairs Committee
United States House of Representatives
2001 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Senator Risch,

We write as an informal group of 63 organizations and individuals who are scholars, religious and secular leaders, human rights advocates and practitioners who have joined our voices to respectfully urge you to speak out for Mr. Ramy Kamel, a prominent Coptic Christian activist. Kamel has been the primary source of information for NGOs and individuals around the world working to improve religious freedom in Egypt.

Kamel has reported objectively on mistreatment of Copts in Egypt, documenting rights abuses and advocating for those who have been displaced from their homes due to faith-based persecution.

Mr. Kamel was invited to participate in a UN forum (November 28th and 29th) titled Education, Language, and the Human Rights of Minorities as a leading advocate and as an individual who met and collaborated with the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Leilani Fahra, when she visited Egypt in September 2018.

On November 23rd, Mr. Kamel was arrested under the cover of dark, around 1:30AM. He was beaten and interrogated without legal representation at the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement neighborhood.

Just 18 days earlier, he was arrested, transferred in an armored vehicle to National Security headquarters in Nasr City, and severely beaten and tortured. He was interrogated without legal representation in an effort to compel him to reveal his research sources, and likely to intimidate him prior to participating at the UN Forum.

Rights groups almost universally agree that Kamel’s arrest is a direct effort by the Egyptian government to punish and silence him for documenting and publicizing human rights abuses against Coptic Christians. In 2011, Kamel founded the Maspero Youth Union after the infamous Maspero Massacre in which 27 Copts were killed by the Egyptian military while peacefully protesting a church closure.

The Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups, which compose the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, issued a statement urging Kamel’s release stating:

“We urge the authorities to comply with their obligations under international law to
provide effective remedies to victims. Egypt must immediately free Mr. Kamel, lift all charges against him, and conduct effective investigations to ensure that those responsible for the violations, including any act of torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, are prosecuted and punished.”

Without credible proof, Mr. Kamel was charged by the State Security Prosecution with disturbing the public peace through the misuse of social media and spreading false news, and with joining and financing a terrorist group. He denied all these charges.

Egypt is a signatory to the UDHR and ICCPR and a member of the United Nations. It is reprehensible that an Egyptian citizen be arrested and tortured merely for exercising rights, guaranteed by these bodies and the Egyptian Constitution.

Mr. Kamel’s detention has been automatically renewed at each of his hearings without cause. This flagrant violation of justice adds weight to the international media reports about the Egyptian government’s widespread crackdown against human rights advocates and opinion-writers within Egypt.

Mr. Kamel’s case is another example that validates other numerous claims of torture by National Security. It is imperative that all government officials and security personnel involved in such unlawful torture and interrogation without legal representation be brought to justice.

Kamel is reportedly suffering from severe respiratory distress. Given the recent death of American/Egyptian dual citizen, Moustafa Kassem, while imprisoned in Egypt, and the credible reports of Egyptian prisoners being denied medical attention, Kamel should receive urgent medical care.

The United States can and should maintain a strong relationship with Egypt, while simultaneously advocating its values of human dignity and religious freedom. Considering Egypt is the 2nd largest recipient of US foreign aid, Members of Congress should be forcefully advocating for Kamel’s immediate release.

Please take urgent action by contacting the Egyptian government and ask for immediate protection of Mr. Kamel from mistreatment, the provision of medical attention, and the termination of all charges against him in Case no. 1475 of 2019.

Sincerely,

Organizations

21Wilberforce
ADL’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities
Baptist World Alliance
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Center for Pluralism
CESNUR, Center for Studies on New Religions
Christian Freedom International
Church of Scientology National Affairs Office
Citizen Power Initiatives for China
Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberte de Conscience
Coptic Solidarity
Embassy of Hope
Friends of Angola
Happy Science Washington Bureau
HaYovel
Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom
In Defense of Christians
Independent Old Catholic Church
Institute on Religion and Democracy
International Christian Concern
International Christian Foundation for Democracy
Jubilee Campaign, USA
Law and Liberty International
Lions Gate Communications LLC
Minh Van Foundation
Muslims for Progressive Values
Open Doors USA
Plateau State Youth Council And National Youth Council of Nigeria.
Plymouth Haven Baptist Church
Religious Freedom Coalition
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church of America
Saint Nicholas Freedom Group
Save the Persecuted Christians
St. Charles Institute
TAF – Tahrir Alnisa Foundation

Individuals (affiliations listed for identification purposes only)

Father John Anderson – Saint Nicholas Freedom Group
Archbishop Andrew – Archbishop, Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church of America
Elijah Brown – General Secretary, Baptist World Alliance
Florindo Chivucute – Executive Director, Friends of Angola
Minerva Diaz – CEO, Lions Gate Communications LLC
Mike Ghouse – President, Center for Pluralism
Rev. Joseph Grieboski – Independent Old Catholic Church
Neil Hicks – Senior Director for Advocacy, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Lauren Homer – President, Law and Liberty International
Massimo Introvigne – Dr, CESNUR, Center for Studies on New Religions
Henry Jones – President, International Christian Foundation for Democracy
Donald Kroah – Plymouth Haven Baptist Church
Dede Laugesen – Executive Director, Save the Persecuted Christians
Paul Marshall – Professor, Baylor University
Faith McDonnell – Director, International Religious Liberty Proggram, Institute on Religion and Democracy
Scott Morgan – President, Red Eagle Enterprises
William Murray – President, Religious Freedom Coalition
Linh Nguyen – President, Minh Van Foundation
Robert Nicholson – President, The Philos Project
Satoshi Nishihata – Washington Bureau Chief, Happy Science Washington Bureau
David Ruleman – Ambassador, Embassy of Hope
Nina Shea – Director, Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom
Susan Taylor – National Public Affairs Director, Church of Scientology
Thierry Valle – President, Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberte de Conscience
Tommy Waller – Founder and President, HaYovel
Wendy Wright – President, Christian Freedom International
Jianli Yang – President, Citizen Power Initiatives for China
Dr Fabong Jemchang Yildam – Chairman, Plateau State Youth Council And National Youth Council of Nigeria

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Photo Credit: Ramy Kamel by CIHRS

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