I call on the Egyptian authorities to ensure that president Mohamed Morsi who had been kidnapped by military officials and will appear in court, to have access the outside world, access to legal counsel to defend and challenge evidence against him in court. President Morsi, the first ever democratically elected president, has a court session scheduled on Wednesday 8 January 2014, along with 14 other defendants, on charges of inciting violence and murder during the December 2012 Ittihadiya clashes. The clashes left 8 of supporters of president Morsi were killed, while one of the opposition was killed due to clashes between supporters and the opposition. The kidnapped president Morsi and his aides have been held incommunicado and in secret detention, with no access to the outside world or to any legal counsel since the military coup of 3 July 2013 in conditions that amount to enforced disappearance. President Morsi was only able to be seen to the public on 4 November 2013, during the initial session of the court, a trial which president Morsi refused to recognize it’s legitimacy and describes it as an unfair and illegitimate trial. The session was adjourned until 8 January 2014. Following the session, president Morsi went in disappearance again by the detaining forces. Neither his family nor his lawyers have been able to have contact with him or know his whereabouts. His enforces disappearance constitutes a serious violation to his human rights and he should be released immediately. According to international law, any person has the right to have access to legal counsel and stand before his natural judge in a free and fair trial. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued opinion No. 39 of 2013, stating that the detention of President Morsi and his aides is arbitrary and called for their immediate release. A leaked video of president Morsi showed that his right hand was injured, in what reflects that the president has been severely tortured in prison.

I call on all International Human Rights Organisation to visit The Egyptian President to ensure his safety and call for his release. I, the undersigned person, hold the current Egyptian authorities responsible for the safety and wellbeing of my elected president and call for his immediate release.