NGO Support

Organisation Contre La Torture (OMCT)

The Hon. Mr. Mohammad Hosni Mubarak President,
Abedine Palace,
Cairo
Arab Republic of Egypt

Geneva, 11 May 2001

Your Excellency,

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the world's largest coalition of non- governmental human rights organisations, is seriously concerned about the attempt by a third party to annul the marriage of Dr. Nawal el-Saadawi and Dr. Sherif Hetata on the grounds that the views expressed by Dr. el-Saadawi, medical doctor, writer and active defender of the rights of women place her "outside the boundaries of Islam."

According to information received by OMCT, the divorce case against Dr. el-Saadawi will be heard by a Cairo shari'a court on 18 June 2001. In early March 2001, Dr. el-Saadawi gave an interview to an Egyptian weekly in which she spoke about women's rights issues. Following the publication of the interview, on 27 March 2001, the Mufti of Egypt published a statement condemning the views of Dr. el-Saadawi and accusing her of having infringed the teachings of Islam. A few days later, lawyer Nabih Wahash commenced proceedings asking that Dr. el- Saadawi be tried for her views and legally separated from her husband according to the procedure known as "hizba."

The International Secretariat of OMCT notes that Article 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which was ratified by Egypt in 1982, states that the rights of men and women of marriageable age to marry shall be recognized. The right to freedom of expression is recognized under article 19 of the ICCPR. A failure by the Egyptian government to intervene in order to stop the divorce proceedings currently underway against Dr. el-Saadawi would clearly be a violation of the State's duty to protect her right to freedom of expression and her right to marry and to remain married.

OMCT would also like to stress that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which has been ratified by Egypt, calls upon States Parties to "condemn discrimination against women in all its forms" and to actively pursue policies of eliminating discrimination against women. Article 7 of CEDAW provides that States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in public life.

The International Secretariat of OMCT urges you to take action to ensure that the divorce proceedings against Dr. el-Saadawi are discontinued and to protect her right to freedom of expression, guarantees to which she is entitled under the ICCPR and CEDAW. The International Secretariat insists upon the necessity to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in all circumstances in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

Thank you for your kind consideration on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Eric Sottas Director

Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
8 rue du Vieux-Billard
Case postale 21 CH-1211
Geneve 8 Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29
E-mail : omct@omct.org
http://www.omct.org