VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #3256 3181535
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141535Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7448
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS CAIRO 003256 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV EG
SUBJECT: ARREST OF CHRISTIAN ACTIVISTS 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1.(U) On November 10, three members of the Toronto-based 
Middle East Christians Association (MECA) were arrested, two 
in Cairo and one in Alexandria.  The three (Wagi Yacoub, 
Victor George, and Manduh Issa) are being held in the Cairo 
Prison for Provisional Detention, pending investigation of 
charges that they 1) insulted Islam; 2) published inaccurate 
quotations from the Koran; and 3) spread rumors that could 
fuel sectarianism. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On November 13, we met with Ramzi El Naggar, the 
lawyer for the three MECA members.  He believes that two of 
the three were arrested because they identified themselves by 
name in religious discussions on the social networking 
website "Paltalk."  The third detainee previously tried to 
register MECA under Egypt's corporation law. The three have 
not been formally charged and El Naggar does not expect them 
to be.  Instead, he believes that they will be held for three 
months, the maximum permitted under Egyptian law and then 
released without charges. (Note: El Naggar explained that 
Egypt's criminal code permits suspects to be held for 15 days 
without charges, but that a judge can extend the initial 15 
day period, for 5 subsequent 15 day periods. End note).  El 
Naggar also represented two other MECA members who were 
arrested in August, held without charges for three months and 
released on November 4. 
 
3, (SBU) During the November 13 meeting, El Naggar expressed 
concern about the conditions in the jail where the three are 
being held, specifically that they were sharing a cell with 
common criminals, rather than political prisoners.  During a 
subsequent telephone conversation on November 14, El Naggar 
advised that the three are now being held together and are 
being treated "well". 
RICCIARDONE