Local activists plan to hold a protest outside the African Union Summit in Johannesburg on Friday in support of Dr Abdus Salaam Jad Bassiouni. Dr Bassiouni is an Egyptian born South African citizen who is currently being detained in Egypt without charge and subject to human rights abuses within the prison which he is being held. Dr Bassiouni is a well-known Islamic scholar, teacher and dedicated humanitarian who has worked on various aid projects in the Johannesburg community.

This month marks six months of incarceration in Egypt’s Tora prison also known as The Scorpion. The prison houses various political and criminal detainees and is located in the south of Cairo.

Dr Bassiouni landed in Egypt in December last year, en route to his daughter;s engagement and was immediately detained.

“The aim (of the protest) is to highlight the case of a South African citizen being detained without charge and effective trial,” Zaakir Mayet, chairperson of the Media Review Network explained.

Dr Bassiouni is said to have sustained multiple injuries during his current incarceration and only his family in Egypt has limited access to him.

“He has sustained a severe back injury and finds himself immobilised,” Mayet added.

“We (thus) protest the presence of the dictator (Abdel Fattah) el-Sisi on South African soil and we protest the South Africans government’s poor reaction to one if its own citizens.”

In the case of the South African, Pierre Korkie, who was abducted in Yemen, the South African government made huge efforts to secure his release even though it was unsuccessful, said Mayet.

“In the case of Dr Bassiouni, our government has not shown the same degree of commitment and willingness to obtain Dr Bassiouni’s release,” he added.

“This is an inditement against our government and must be highlighted at the African Union Summit. It is a sad day when we entertain coup leaders,” Mayet added.

The African Union Summit conference is taking place this week in Johannesburg following the World Economic Forum that was held in Cape Town last week.

“We would like to send a message to our government and to the military leader Sisi, that if you not release Dr Bassiouni we will continue to protest and we will continue to support him till he is released from incarceration,” Mayet stated.

South Africa has taken a strong stance against the current situation in Burundi as it condemned any attempt to change a democratically elected government.

“We see a weakening of the stance of South Africa with regards to Egypt. Recently President Zuma has had meetings in Egypt,” Mayet noted

Efforts to secure the release of Dr Bassiouni have fallen on deaf ears. The efforts that have apparently been undertaking by the South African government have not been presented to the Bassiouni family or to the Legal Resource Centre, which is handling the case on behalf of the family

“As the MRN we have to exhaust all our efforts to try and secure the immediate release of a man who has only done good for this country,” Mayet concluded.

The campaign forms part of the #FreeBassiouni campaign and will start at 12:30pm outside the African Union Summit conference at the Sandton Convention Centre. VOC (Umarah Hartley)