EXTERNAL (for general distribution)AI Index: MDE 12/14/94

Distr: UA/SC

22 August 1994

Further information on UA 273/94 (MDE 12/12/94, 18 July 1994) and follow-up (MDE 12/13/94, 28 July) - Death Penalty

EGYPT:Mohammad Rashad 'Abd al-Hamid Higazy

Mohammad 'Abd al-'Alim Khalifa

Mas'ud al-'Arif Ibrahim

Tariq Ahmad 'Abd al-Samad

Usama Mohammad Rashad

On 22 August 1994, the five men named above were executed in Cairo. All five had been sentenced to death by the Supreme Military Court on 16 July 1994.

The five men were sentenced to death in the case known as the attempted assassination of the Interior Minister, General Mohammad Hassan al-Alfy.

FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express and airmail letters either in Arabic, French, English or in your own language:

- expressing grave concern at these five executions, which Amnesty International considers as summary and arbitrary executions;

- expressing concern at the upsurge in the use of the death penalty in Egypt (56 death sentences have been passed by military courts since December 1992 and 40 executions have now taken place), and explaining Amnesty International's opposition to the death penalty as a violation of the right to life and the most extreme form of cruel and inhuman punishment;

- drawing attention to world trends to abolish or reduce the use of the death penalty, in accordance with Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a state party.

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency

Muhammad Hosni Mubarak

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

'Abedine Palace

Cairo, Egypt

Telegrams: President Mubarak, Cairo, Egypt

Telexes: 93794 WAZRA UN

Faxes: 202 260 54 17

Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:

The Human Rights Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Corniche al-Nil

Cairo, Egypt

Faxes: 202 723173

Dr Fathi Sorour

Speaker

The People's Assembly

Magles al-Shaab Street

Cairo, Egypt

and to diplomatic representatives of Egypt accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.