New information regarding the forced disappearance of Reda Helal has emerged that could help lead investigators to a possible killer.
(EOHR/IFEX) – The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) calls on the prosecutor general to launch investigations into the forced disappearance of many individuals, including the journalist Reda Helal. On July 21 2011, “Al Wafd” Newspaper published a report on an interview with police officer Mahmoud Abdel Nabi, a member of the Honest Police Officers’ Coalition in which he said that “the police killed him [Helal], I know the officer who committed the murder.
EOHR stated that this kind of information is very important and encourages accountability. EOHR has submitted many complaints to the prosecutor general’s office in order to launch investigations into forced disappearances. Reda Helal’s family submitted an application to the prosecutor general to reopen the investigation into the disappearance of the journalist. The statement of the police officer may lead to the perpetrator. EOHR therefore calls on the prosecutor general to assign a judge to investigate the statement of the police officer and question him as a witness.
Mr. Hafez Abu Seada, the head of EOHR, emphasized the necessity of conducting an immediate investigation into the disappearance of the journalist Reda Helal. The absence of witnesses and lack of leads are always the hardest problems to tackle before achieving justice, but the required information is now available. Mr. Hafez also confirmed that forced disappearance is one of the worst type of crimes. It is criminalized in all agreements on international human rights standards. The involved perpetrators must be brought to justice.
