Interviews with Saad Eddin Ibrahim

I was put in a solitary confinement for much of my detention, during the interrogation, and then, later on when I was sentenced to seven years. And it is during that period that a great deal of my health was lost. Because I was subjected to sleep deprivation, which fouled up my nervous system, and– resulted in near paralysis.

So it was tough—on individually, and I must say, I was in and out of prison during that period three times. The first time was the worst, was toughest. And that’s when I lost a great deal of my health. Every time I appealed, my appeal was accepted, and then the government, or the regime will indict me again, and bring me back to trial, and one of those kangaroo courts will be sentenced again to seven years. Every time to seven years. And they’ll be taken back to prison.

So in and out for three times. And during that I, as I said, I—lost a great deal of my health, to the point when I—when I finally was acquitted by the high court—I was taken—by my family directly to Johns Hopkins Hospital—in Maryland, to operate on me. And I had th—four surgeries before I could, you know, get back to stand on my feet, and be able to walk. And I still walk with a cane.

Saad Eddin Ibrahim is professor of sociology and one of Egypt’s leading voices for democracy and human rights.

Ibrahim was born in 1938 in Mansura, Egypt. He studied at Cairo University, and later in the United States at the University of Washington. He was initially targeted by the Egyptian government after suggesting on a radio show that President Mubarak would attempt to hand power illegitimately to his son Gamal. Ibrahim was charged with “defaming” Egypt abroad and accepting funds from the United States for election monitoring without permission and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Many foreign governments, including the United States, called for his release. Although Egypt’s highest court eventually threw out his sentence and ordered him released, the ordeal severely damaged Ibrahim’s health. Under threat of re-arrest, Ibrahim left Egypt in 2008 to live in the United States.

Ibrahim is the author or editor of more than 35 books in Arabic and English and has published more than 100 scholarly articles.