The caller, who
identified himself as "Mohammad Mohammadain," told Bahgat
that he was taking over SSIS responsibility for EIPR from
SSIS official Mo'ataz (NFI). Bahgat declined to visit
Mohammadain at his office, saying SSIS has no legal basis for
summoning EIPR. Bahgat said that SSIS officers could visit
EIPR during working hours, and that information about EIPR
was available on its website. Bahgat asked his caller not to
harass EIPR staff as Mo'ataz had done earlier. (Bahgat did
not alert his caller that poloff was present.)
Cable: 06CAIRO6132_a - 0 views
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After beginning his advocacy on the detainees, who were later released, Bahgat was contacted by SSIS officer Walid El-Desouki, who is well known in Egypt's NGO and opposition circles. Bahgat described El-Desouki as "thuggish" and said he was relieved when El-Desouki was replaced in 2003 by Sharif El-Damati, whom he described as a "yuppie SSIS officer for a yuppie kid like me." Bahgat noted that he and El-Damati established a modus vivendi, based on Bahgat's willingness to provide publicly-available information about EIPR in response to visits to EIPR by El-Damati. El-Damati, however, was reassigned in spring 2004, after he testified in the trial of anti-war activist Ashraf Ibrahim who was exonerated on charges of defaming Egypt by passing information abroad on human rights abuses.
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