Criminal Justice | Court Postpones Jeka & Christie Cases to be Considered Revolution Victims to Nov 25
The Administrative Court of Justice (First Circuit) postponed today the two lawsuits lodged by the ECESR to Nov 25, 2014 for reading the case file and receiving the State Attorney’s comment. ECESR demanded cancelling the negative decisions that refrained from considering Jaber Salah Jaber, known as Jeka, and Mohammed Hussein Korny, known as Christie, as victims of the revolution.
The postponement has come after the Board of State Commissioners recommended last November accepting the two challenges and the abolition of the negative decisions.
In collaboration with the law office of Khalid Ali, the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights has lodged the two lawsuits No. 36383/67 and 50621/67 on behalf of the victims’ families and against the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Interior and the Secretary General of the National Council for the care of injured and families of martyrs of the revolution, each in his capacity. The defense team demanded enrolling the two names in the lists of the revolution victims and the abolition of the negative decisions and their consequent effects. These lawsuits have been lodged as part of a series of lawsuits filed by the ECESR on behalf of many of those who were killed and injured during the revolution clashes since its outbreak in January 25, 2011 and until now. All of them claim the victims’ rights to be compensated by the state, and particularly the right to be officially considered revolution’s victims like their fellow victims who officially listed as victims. The lawsuits were lodged as an attempt to forbid those in power from subjectively considering some as victims and others not, depending on the changing political circumstances.
The victim Jaber Salah Jaber, known as Jeka, was shot dead during his participation in the first anniversary of the Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes in November 20, 2012. The security forces had used excessive force and live bullets to disperse the demonstrations at the behest of the then Interior Minister Ahmad Jamal al-Din who served under the removed President Mohamed Morsi. The victim Mohamed Hussein Korny, known as Christie, was shot dead in the head and chest at the hands of the security forces during Kasr Atahadia demonstration on February 1, 2013. They used live bullets on the orders of the current Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, who was the second interior minister to serve under the removed President Mohamed Morsi.
The State Commissioners’ recommendation for Jeka and Christie to be considered as Revolution’s victims not only compensate the victims and their families, who deserve moral and symbolic as well as financial compensation for the loss of their beloved sons, but, more importantly, also reveal a legal flaw in dealing with the cases of those who paid their blood during the SCAF period and the rule of Morsi, the first elected civilian president who got rid of the revolution principles that drove him to power. The legal procedures were marred by political considerations rather than the facts and logic. The process ignored the role of the Interior Ministry and its two ministers under the removed president Morsi, who used lethal force against his opponents and peaceful protesters.
