Broken Promises
Before the deportation, the Swedish authorities had been concerned about the danger that the men could be tortured in Egypt. They had obtained a guarantee from Egypt that they would not be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment, that they would be given fair trials, and that the Swedish embassy personnel would be allowed to visit the men in prison. However, the Swedish decision to rely on such promises has been strongly criticized. In hindsight, it appears that the Swedish mode of action was strongly influenced by the events of the attack on the New York twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, three months earlier. At the time there was a strong desire among European governments to show solidarity with the USA, and to appear like reliable partners in security issues.
The Egyptian compliance with the given guarantee leaves something to be desired. The Swedish embassy personnel were not allowed to be present during the sittings of the trial, except for the last day. During visits, the men were not allowed to communicate privately with the embassy personnel, nor could an independent medical examination be had.
The fates of these men has since been used in courts to prevent other deportations to Egypt from other countries, in spite of guarantees.
Read more about this topic: Repatriation Of Ahmed Agiza And Muhammad Al-Zery
Famous quotes containing the words broken and/or promises:
“War and culture, those are the two poles of Europe, her heaven and hell, her glory and shame, and they cannot be separated from one another. When one comes to an end, the other will end also and one cannot end without the other. The fact that no war has broken out in Europe for fifty years is connected in some mysterious way with the fact that for fifty years no new Picasso has appeared either.”
—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)