Cairo: 22 July, 2019
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) today announced its deep concern and rejection towards the continued harassment and arbitrariness practiced by President of Helwan University, Dr. Maged Negm, against former prisoner of conscience Dr. Yehia al-Qazzaz (professor of science at Helwan University), pursing investigations against him and referring him to the university’s disciplinary board; in order to appease the authorities and the ruling political regime instead of standing on the side of freedom of expression and university and academic freedoms.
The Arabic Network expresses its sorrow believing that the attempt of Helwan University’s President Maged Negm to silence one of the university faculty members is to be added to the role of the Faculty of Science’s Dean “Maher Helmy”, who had filed a complaint against Dr. Yehia al-Qazzaz for posting some comments and statements on his Facebook page during the last year (2018) before his imprisonment, which lasted more than nine months. Also, immediately after his release from prison, less than two months ago, al-Qazzaz was informed that he had been referred to a disciplinary board, not to mention the investigation conducted with him over allegations that he was absent from work during the period he spent in prison and a few days later!
After he was released from prison on Thursday 23 May 2019, Dr. Yehia al-Qazzaz was staggered that he was referred to investigation on Sunday the 21st of this July to question him about his alleged absence from work after he was released from prison on the 23rd of last May, despite that fact that he headed to the university on Sunday 26 May, a couple of days after his release on Thursday 23 May, to attend his first day of work immediately after his release from prison. He was also surprised by the decision to refer him to a disciplinary board on Sunday following a memo that resembles a police report or communiqué submitted by the faculty’s dean with the approval of the university’s president. The memo was against the backdrop of some comments and remarks Dr. Yehia al-Qazzaz published via his Facebook personal account, which were deemed (both by the faculty’s dean and the university’s president) offensive to the universal values and academic freedoms, to which they should have relied in defending al-Qazzaz’s right to freedom of expression.
Gamal Eid, director of ANHRI said: “It’s regrettable and a bad behavior that the university’s president Maged Negm and the faculty’s dean Maher Helmy wasted the university and academic values and traditions by prosecuting a fellow university professor and a faculty member because of his critical political opinions on his Facebook account, while turning a blind eye to the fact that it’s inappropriate for anyone to watch, pursue, or report his colleague, let alone those in the academic field. This is really a big mistake and a black spot in their history.”
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information called on the disciplinary council that is due to be held next Sunday 28 July 2019 to close the investigations and correct the disgraceful mistake committed by the university’s president and the faculty’s dean. This is in order to uphold the values of freedom of expression and academic freedoms, especially that Dr. Yehia al-Qazzaz has a long history of credibility and efficiency, both as a university doctor and as a citizen, who is concerned by public affairs and is respected by his opponents before his colleagues. ANHRI also called on that the university’s disciplinary board not to be dragged into political conflicts.
