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Save Sameh Khouzam
Dedicated to Freeing Sameh for Good
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Recent Comments
Khouzam v. Atty Gene… on Pictures Rights on Comments & Posts humanrightspa on Comments & Posts Timm on Comments & Posts Kathy on Comments & Posts
June 3, 2007 at 1:23 pm |
Sameh, we are praying for you. I know this is hard, but I truly believe God has this under control. Please hold on to his peace that surpasses all understanding.
Lia, Jim, Thomas & David
June 3, 2007 at 5:28 pm |
ACT NOW! We, citizen’s of the United States, are the only ones who can save Sameh. Don’t sit and assume that this situation is being handled. CONTACT YOU ELECTED OFFICIALS – E-MAIL THIS WEBSITE TO EVERYONE AND ASK THEM TO GET INVOLVED! Homeland Security is literally feeding Sameh to the lions (Eygpt). PLEASE HELP MY FRIEND SAMEH!
June 3, 2007 at 9:53 pm |
Please take action! Never sit and assume this type of situation is being handled. Sameh needs help now. Take Action NOW! We, the citizens of the United States, are the only one that can help him! JUST DO IT!
Susan Hazlitt
June 3, 2007 at 11:52 pm |
Sameh, prayers are being lifted up before the throne of Heaven on your behalf. The Lord of Hosts holds you in His grip.
Ruth
June 4, 2007 at 5:16 pm |
I have spent the morning trying to get through to my elected officials. It has been a dissappointing time. The underlings that work in the office, who are probably just out of high school do not understand the sense of urgency and are very rude. I did get the email of one person at Senator Casey’s office, but do not feel hopeful it will go any further than that. If you want to contact their office the email is: teresa_dennis@casey.senate.gov. Keep trying. I a not giving up, just pressing harder.
June 5, 2007 at 4:53 pm |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org
Egypt’s Empty Promise Not to Torture Inherently Unreliable and
Unenforceable
NEW YORK — The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the
government’s announcement that that it intends to deport Pennsylvania
resident Sameh Khouzam to Egypt, a country the State Department
reports engages in torture. The United States government claims it has
received “diplomatic assurances” from Egypt and moved to deport
Khouzam last week, despite a ruling by the United States Court of
Appeals for the Second Circuit that he would likely be tortured upon
his return.
“The Egyptian authorities are notorious for their routine use of
torture. The U.S. government’s reliance on their word makes a mockery
of its treaty obligations under the Torture Convention,” said Amrit
Singh, ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project Staff Attorney. “It is illegal
and immoral to send Mr. Khouzam back to a country where he will likely
be tortured.”
Khouzam, a Coptic Christian, came to the U.S. in 1998 as a refugee
from religious persecution in Egypt. In February, 2004, a U.S. Court
of Appeals granted him relief from removal under the Convention
Against Torture (CAT), finding that it was “more likely than not” that
he would be tortured if returned to Egypt. Khouzam remained in
immigration detention until he was released in February 2006. He has
been living with his family and working in Pennsylvania.
On May 29, 2007, after appearing for a routine check-in with
immigration authorities, Khouzam was abruptly detained at the York
County, PA jail. He was told that the State Department had secured a
promise from Egypt that he would not be tortured, and informed that
his deportation to that country would take place as soon as June 1.
Neither Khouzam nor his lawyers has seen the Egyptian promise. An
emergency petition for a stay of Khouzam’s removal order until June 7,
2007 was issued last week, by Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie of the District
Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In addition, Khouzam’s
attorneys filed an emergency petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit yesterday. That petition was denied as moot on
June 1.
“Our government should be smart enough to know that it shouldn’t
believe the empty promises of Egyptian diplomats that they won’t
torture,” said Christopher Anders, ACLU legislative counsel. “The
Egyptian diplomats can cross their fingers and say they won’t torture
again, but their full torture chambers tell the real story.”
CAT, ratified by the U.S. in 1994, prohibits the U.S. from
transferring a person “to another State where there are substantial
grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to
torture.” The U.S. has sought to circumvent its treaty obligations by
transferring individuals to countries – including those known to
employ torture – that provide nothing more than promises from their
diplomats that they will not torture such individuals.
Upon his arrival in the U.S. in 1998, Khouzam was immediately placed
in immigration detention, based on allegations by the Egyptian
authorities that he was wanted in Egypt on a murder charge. To date,
the Egyptian authorities have not produced much of the evidence that
usually would support that charge. Nonetheless, the U.S. government
kept Khouzam in immigration detention for eight years. Since his
release in 2006, Khouzam has been living in Pennsylvania and working
as controller of large real estate company.
The U.S. State Department has documented widespread Egyptian
persecution and discrimination against Coptic Christians and other
religious minorities, as well as widespread use of torture in Egypt. A
State Department report on the matter is available at:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78851.htm. According to the ACLU,
torture and abuse in Egyptian detention facilities are routine and
Egypt has breached similar diplomatic assurances in the past. On
Friday, Congressman Joseph Pitts (R-PA) sent a letter to Secretary of
State Condeleezza Rice detailing these concerns and requesting
Khouzam’s deportation be cancelled. That letter is available at
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/29982prs20070604.html
Recently two United Nations Human Rights bodies, the U.N. Committee
Against Torture and the U.N. Human Rights Committee, found that the
“extraordinary rendition” of two men, Ahmed Agiza and Mohammed El-
Zery, from Sweden to Egypt, violated, Article 3 of the Convention
Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (prohibition against rendition to torture) and Article 7 of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (prohibition
against torture). Last week the ACLU brought a lawsuit against
Jeppesen Dataplan Inc. for providing logistical support for those
illegal renditions. More information is available at: http://www.aclu.org/rendition.
Attorneys representing Khouzam are Singh, Judy Rabinovitz and Lee
Gelernt of the ACLU, Vic Walczak of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Daniel
Pell, Thanos Kanellakos and Morton Sklar and Monique Beadle of the
World Organization for Human Rights.
The emergency stay granted by Judge Vanaskie is available at:
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/29979lgl20070531.html
The original decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit is available at: http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/29981lgl20040224.html
The emergency petition for habeas corpus is available at:
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/29979lgl20070531.html
June 6, 2007 at 3:17 pm |
Sameh, I am praying to Blessed Matrona and St John Maximovitch of Shanghai and San Fransisco for their speedy and miraculous intercession for you. God have mercy and help you!
June 7, 2007 at 11:41 pm |
Sameh, we are spreading the word to friends and emailing politicians on your behalf. You are a good honest man and we have valued your friendship. We are praying that justice triumph
and for the Lord’s protection over you.
June 9, 2007 at 11:17 pm |
At this link here, the ACLU will help you send letters automatically to:
-John Bellinger, Legal Advisor to the Secretary of State;
-Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
-Condolezza Rice, Secretary of State;
-and your Members of Congress
June 12, 2007 at 4:59 am |
I am from Australia, from Egyptian Christian background. I know nothing about this problem more than what I read on your site. Hope that our prayers are answered and that this person gets a fair consideration from the USA authorities
God Bless
June 13, 2007 at 1:56 pm |
I met Sameh on Valentine’s Day of last year, and he has quickly become one of my closest friends. His story is surreal but true and being a part of it makes me feel like I’m living a movie, or back in ancient Rome.
Somebody, somewhere can do something about thisand we just need to make enough contacts until we find that person.
Please do what you can.
June 14, 2007 at 3:05 am |
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy on Sameh, Georgette, co-workers, friends, attorneys, politicians, judges, prison guards, torturers, and on all of us. May Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done in Sameh’s life and with everyone who is involved. Through the intercessions of all the saints, Lord, have mercy on us and save us all. Amen.
June 14, 2007 at 4:41 pm |
This is just another example of how out of control the the Bush administration has become. You will have our support and we will be sending emails of support to the appropriate agencies.
June 15, 2007 at 2:56 am |
Dear Sameh,
I’m so relieved to hear that you have an extension and that there are so many dedicated people working on your behalf. You’re in my prayers. Love, Alys
June 15, 2007 at 7:36 pm |
Thank you God for the Indefinite Stay of Deportation!!! Now God we pray for Sameh to get a life that is free of worry that this will happen again and that he may live in peace. God help him to find a place where he can live without looking over his shoulder and waiting for the shoe to drop. We pray in your precisous Son’s Name. Amen
June 17, 2007 at 3:58 am |
If the Bush administration can’t acknowledge the real peril of Christians under islamofascists, then I will here by tear up my republican party membership card.
May God have mercy on our country…there is no honor left.
john trackes
New York
June 26, 2007 at 1:29 am |
I am friends with Sameh and i know how much stress this has caused him and his church family. If the people stand up for him, undivided, we will be giving him and others like hhim a voice.
January 11, 2008 at 11:05 pm |
Hello Sameh,
I just read in an email from our local ACLU that you won the case & are to be freed. Praise God!! I am so happy for you. I will continue to keep you in my prayers. May God bless you!
January 16, 2008 at 1:04 am |
Thanks be to God! I heard that Sameh was released today!
May 13, 2008 at 1:37 pm |
Several experts have filed “friend of the court” briefs in support of Sameh in the case that is pending before the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. You can find them by going to this site. http://humanrightspa.wordpress.com/
July 17, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
Hey all-
I thought it was time for an update… So here it is. On July 2, 2008, Sameh’s case was heard in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. The hearing went better than expected, although we faced a tough panel of judges. Attorneys for the good guys were articulate, precise, well prepared to address intricate details of the law and reminded the court of the torture Sameh Khouzam has already endured, which, by the way, has not been disputed. We are still waiting for a decision.
There is an article in Philadelphia Inquirer, which can be found at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/22751759.html
Also, if you’d like to look at the briefs filed they can found at:
http://www.hractivists.org/savesameh/court_filings_in_khouzam_3rd_circuit.htm
I’ll let you know when I hear more!