Schiff Resolution Condemning Arrest of Egyptian Politician to be Marked-Up by House International Relations Committee

WASHINGTON, DC - The House International Relations Committee will mark-up H. Con. Res. 82 on Wednesday, March 9 at 10:15 am. The resolution condemns Egypt for the arrest of opposition leader Ayman Nour and calls on the Egyptian government to release Mr. Nour immediately.

On January 29 Mr. Nour, a member of Egypt's parliament and leader of the newly recognized opposition party, al-Ghad (Tomorrow), was arrested immediately after being stripped of his parliamentary immunity. Nour was charged with having forged petition signatures in support of al-Ghad's registration and was ordered held for 45 days, pending investigations.

The Egyptian government continues to hold Mr. Nour, even after President Hosni Mubarak proposed amending the Egyptian constitution to allow for direct, contested elections as Nour advocated. Nour's continued detention is widely seen as precipitating Secretary Rice's decision to cancel a planned trip to Cairo this week.

"Egypt is a longstanding American ally that has played a crucial role in the search for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors," said Schiff. "But even as President Mubarak and the Egyptian government have shown great leadership in the quest for peace, they have dragged their heels when it comes to the political reform that is crucial if Egypt is to remain a regional leader. As an important ally, we must not stand idly by and watch Egypt take steps that undermine democracy and human rights."

Schiff was joined by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) as original co-sponsors.

Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California's 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.

Source