Case History: Ayman Fakhry

On 16 March 2015, El Tebbin Misdemeanour Court of Appeal will issue a verdict against human rights defender Mr Ayman Fakhry for “inciting public workers to strike” (in case number 3791 of 2014). On 9 December 2014, he was sentenced by El Tebbin Misdemeanour Court of First Instance to two years' imprisonment. The sentence can be suspended upon payment of 5,000 Egyptian Pounds fine (approximately €580).

Ayman Fakhry is a labour rights defender working in South Cairo. In November 2014, he launched a campaign on Facebook and Twitter (using hashtags that translate into English as #save_theiron_and_steel and #public_sector_belongs_to _us_and_our_children) to raise awareness about workers' rights in South Cairo. The human rights defender also actively participated in the campaign “Our Country, Our Right, South Cairo Group”, which aimed to promote labour rights within the public and private sector. Ayman Fakhry is known for expressing his solidarity with workers in Helwan by attending their protests.

Ayman Fakhry was initially arrested at approximately 2:00 pm on 3 December 2014 by police in front of the Egyptian Iron and Steel Company’s factory in Helwan, where workers were protesting. Ayman Fakhry was reportedly interrogated by “unknown authorities” in relation to his presence at the protest. He was subsequently transferred to the Public Prosecutor and accused of “inciting public workers to strike” by distributing leaflets while workers changed shifts. Allegedly, the leaflets seized were a petition belonging to the the Iron and Steel Workers' Front calling for the withdrawal of the workers' support for the Union Committee in the Egyptian Iron and Steel Company. Ayman Fakhry had been supporting workers, who have been holding a sit-in since 26 November 2014 and demanding payment of their share of profits, the improvement of their working conditions and the removal of the company’s board members.