Ahmed Maher!

s Letters From Torah Prison

" !Is This Why We Sparked A Revolution? " " " January 3, 2014

Since just a few days short of three years, masses of people rose in a revolution that the people of the world gloried; the revolution!s demands are summarized in its slogan....bread...freedom...social justice. Does the freedom we demanded refer to individual freedoms? Or the freedom of the people? Or the freedom of expression and of disagreement? Or the freedom of the nation from oppression and detention? We called for freedom, rst and foremost, for the freedom of expression of opinion....the freedom of political prisoners over 60 years of military rule...freedom of the nation....freedom of the people....a freedom that this nation has been deprived of for decades....a freedom that we dreamed of but never experienced....freedom for all those who agree or disagree politically for God created all people free....not to have a leader oppress them or have an opinion imposed on them.... Did our youth take to the streets for personal gains? He who says so is lying....they took to the streets to resist a law that takes away freedoms issued by a government that itself came through demonstrations. No to the protest law....a law whose content the worlds ridiculed...the world ridiculed a revolution killing its children.....and a nation killing the dreams of its youth who called for removing the law or submitting it for social dialogue, ghting to preserve a right that we gained through blood from the oppressive system that the people revolted against.... " " The security system dealt with those youth with the oppression, detention and house raids that it has always been accustomed to....as though it is taking revenge on the

youth who wished to rectify the picture, for the police are not masters of the people nor to the people have to live under the st of a security system.... " The farce is made complete by a judiciary that does not say a word of truth....it is made complete by ridiculous trials...then the youth are dragged to prisons to be subjected to injustices...from solitary connement to banning winter clothes in this bitter cold....and the banning of visits and the prohibition of a pen and paper, which are their only solace..... " Do they not know that for every revolutionary there are a thousand more??!! Our thoughts cannot be killed or detained....That is other than their treatment of lawyers and guests during visits, which violates the most basic human rights.....and here we are waiting for a regime that came after the fall of three regimes at the hands of the people to provide the most basic form of justice....which led our youth to begin a hunger strike in protest of the ill treatment they are being subjected to.... We demand, all of us who signed from revolutionary forces and public gures and true Egyptian youth, the immediate release of all the detained activists charged with breaking the protest law whether during the events of the Shura council, and they are:"Alaa Adel FattahAhmed Abdel Rahman......or during Ahmed Maher!s turning himself in at the Abdeen Prosecution, and they are: Ahmed Maher Tantawy Ahmed Abou Douma Mohammed Adel. Maher, Douma and Adel Continue Hunger Strike to Demand Better Conditions in Prison...January 4, 2014 Each of the political activists Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma, and Mohammed Adel have resumed their hunger strike once again, starting from Wednesday the 1st of January, until the prison administration ceases to deny them their rights, and in order to pressure for better conditions inside the prison. This information is according to a statement

made by the page Freedom for Alaa Abdel Fattah on the social networking site Facebook, which is monitored by the friends and family of the political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. " The three activists began a hunger strike during the nal days of last December. The statement said: They (the three activists) demand better living conditions inside the prison. The prison administration refrains from providing them their rights and necessities. They entered negotiations with the prison administration, and the latter promised to meet their demands. Thus, the activists announced on the 27th of December a halt to their hunger strike until the visit of their attorneys, which was planned for Monday the 30th December 2013. The statement continues : The prison administration did not fulll any of its promises, and the prosecution continued to prevent the three young men from meeting their attorneys in spite of the importance of that meeting, especially since the court session to appeal their sentence is scheduled for the 8th of January and since the activists wish to submit a few allegations. It has become evident to the detained young men and to their families that the authorities denying them of their rights are not only the Interior Ministry, but also the prosecution and the prison authorities. " The Abdeen court had previously sentenced Ahmed Maher, founder of the 6 April Youth Movement, as well as the activists Ahmed Douma and Mohammed Adel to three years in prison and a ne of fty thousand Egyptian pounds. They are sentenced under charges of participation in the events of the Abdeen court, their most prominent charge being that of breaking the protest law.

These Are The Orders....Damn The Orders!! ""

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January 19, 2014

These are the orders. This is a statement which I hear excessively on a daily basis, until it became as common as good morning or good night. I spend 22 hours a day looking at the ceiling of the cell. And when I try to make a change to break the boredom in these 22 hours, I look at the metal ceiling of the two-

level bunk bed or at the power or I stare at the power outlets. Alternatively, I might listen to the sound of water dripping all night, and sometimes I fall asleep. " A bunk bed. It is true that this is the rst time I sleep on a bed with a mattress in prison, for the 6 times I have been arrested before from 2005 to 2013 were in prisons of lesser means. In the past, I slept on the oor; now, I sleep on a bed with a mattress and even a pillow,. But I am alone 22 hours of the day. " Throughout the rst two weeks, all 24 hours were spent in solitary connement. I would ask Am I not going to go out for #AlTareed!? They would reply No, not until 11 days have passed, and because you left and returned under different charges, they will be counted from the beginning. " #AlTareed! is the time that the inmates go out to play sports, walk or talk to people, whether inmates or staff or ofcers. I would ask Well why can I not go after the rst 15 days? Why not now? He would look at me, disregarding my question, and replying These are the orders. " That was the answer!!! " The rst 15 days passed extremely slowly. Magazines, books and writing were prohibited, and of course there was no television or radio. I sat alone 24 hours a day in the prison cell, staring at its boundaries, the paint, the ground, the door, the windows, the socket outlets, the tap...until I had memorized them. " In the rst 15 days of solitary connement, I asked about any means of entertainment." " Then, I waited for the 11 days to pass. Those were 15 days, not 11No, they are 11 days, and they are because you left and returned on new chargesWell, why not now, during the 11 or 15 days??!!!And I never left to begin with!!These are the orders!Orders from who??!!No reply.....Finally, the solitary cell was opened. I greeted Alaa Abdel Fattah, and teased Douma who was still serving his 11 days of solitary

connement.Two hours later, they told us AlTareed time is over. Why is it over? Only two hours? Why is it only two hours?These are the orders!We used to have AlTareed time until sunset. Whatever happened to that? In Torah prison in 2006, Burj Al Arab prison in 2008, and Al A!rab prison in 2013...That was a long time ago when Morsi was around...That was Mubarak!s time, before Morsi...and they can both go to hell...why only two hours??!!These are the orders! That is always the answer..... " The prison policy says all day. Also, we want televisions and radios and mp3. We want to send letters.There is none of that here!Why??!!These are the orders.We had all of those things when we were detained before. Where are they?Listen Ahmed. The circumstances are different. We are in different times now, and this prison is not like other prisons.What do you mean? Other prisons have these things!You are not in just any prison. Times and circumstances are different. You must understand this. Besides, this prison is cleaner than any other prison. You are in a clean place and you have your own mattress, blanket, pillow and toilet, and all is well.I know that this place is cleaner than other prisons, and there are no insects in the cells. I have tried other prisons and I know. But over there, there were also televisions and courts and radios, and I would walk around all day and see people and speak to them. And at the same time, the other inmates also had these things.Listen Ahmed, these are the orders. The circumstances are different, and you and your friends are not like other inmates. " The days pass slowly, and the hours pass slowly. I spend the 22 hours looking at the ceiling, the door, the windows and the boundaries of the cell. I listen to the water dripping at night, and sometimes I sleep. " It is true that there are not the thousands of cockroaches and insects and rats, as there was in Torah Tahkeek in 2006. But there is nothing - no people, no sound, no television, no radio, nothing. Even the insects, cockroaches and rats used to be some form of entertainment - you could keep yourself entertained trying to catch them. " And the phrase these are the orders repeats without justication followed by intense arguments. May God forgive me....God damn the orders...for the last time, I am not from

the Brotherhood...I want to shave my beard.....I have the right to shave my beard.....And after long hours of arguments, nally they agree to allow shaving blades.... " Alright then, now let us have television or radio or mp3...we want to listen to the news....No....Why not?....These are the orders....The usual reply....Damn the orders!!There are no rules that prevent them; these minor things are common in any other prison. It is the right of an inmate to be out all day and see people and speak to them. There is nothing that prohibits television or radio or mp3. " While I was alone in solitary connement, I heard some Umm Kulthum and Fairuz music. I listen closely an enjoy....Wow...Who is the lucky son of a gun that has a radio? " And after days of struggling and arguing, they nally allowed Ahmed Douma to bring in a radio but only AM....FM is prohibited...only one frequency.... " Is the radio working with you Douma?......... No, it isn!t picking up anything...........Sir, we want FM radio. We want to listen to the news. It is our right....... Prohibited...... Why..... These are the orders.... These strange orders of yours. The AM radio isn!t picking up anything, only noise. Just to say that you allowed us some form of radio? " Struggles and arguments that last days over things that should be basic rights (books, letters, meetings, seeing the other inmates all day). Alright, let us be together instead of solitary connement. Television, radio, mp3......these things were normal in the days of Mubarak and the day of Morsi. " What a boring detention!! So not only do I get three years, but I am also deprived....solitary connement, barley able to see anyone, no way to follow the news!! All of this!! All of this because I opposed the protest law?? " Damn the orders and whoever gave the orders...no-one knows who gave the orders anyway or why they want to deprive us further in our three years of prison??!!!! "

Ahmed Maher, Torah Prison

The Referendum Smells Foul " "

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January 21, 2014

Yes, the referendum.what is happening now has nothing to do with a legitimate referendum in any way, what is happening now is no different from the referendum of 2005, when all the institutions of the state pushed towards yes and all the businessmen posted signs that read Yes to Mubarak, yes to the constitution. Back then as well, they called everyone who wished to vote no a traitor, an agent an enemy of the country..just as they say now. " There is not really much of a difference between the manipulation and the fraud which happened in the referendum of 2005 and in the referendum of 2014the same method and rhetoric, the same abuses, fascism and lies. Better than the constitution of 1971, but it still contains poison about the authorities of the president which takes us back to an authoritarian systemand of course articles on military trials..and of course articles on the military authorities and their authority over the country even if Sisi does not become president. But why all of these expenses since the whole thing is acting and fabricated anyway??!! All of the money being thrown away over this referendum??!! Aren!t the poor people of Egypt more worthy of that money??!! " Overt advertisements of yes, arresting anyone who says no.what a democracy getting rid of all institutions who might expose the abuses and the fraud, keeping only those institutions who will support and say yes!! And whoever things of saying no is immediately called a traitor and agent!! Why are they even having a referendum??!! Why all of these expenses??!!" " I can hear people outside sayingWhy is Ahmed Maher even talking?! He was at Morsi!s establishmentNo, you haven!t read well or followed the news properly, or are making things up. Amr Moosa, the head of the constitution committee, was also at Morsi!s establishment, along with plenty of others like Jaber Nassar, Waheed Abd El Majeed, Abdel Jaleel MostafaI withdrew on the same day, and there were those

who did not withdraw and voted yes to Morsi!s constitution. Al Azhar,the militaryI, for one, withdrew and opposed Morsi!s constitution and called out to the people to say No. I was against the same disastrous articles that are in the constitution of 2014. And in 2012, I was able to get 5 million yers against the Brotherhood!s constitution distributed.we went out in protests against the constitution everywhere can anyone do this now??!! Anyone who opposes the constitution now is a traitor and agent who wants to destroy Egypt, just like the media says." " The Muslim Brotherhood ruled Egypt with the utmost stupidity and opportunism, but the new military regime is even more based on stupidity, dictatorship, oppression and lies. They detain everyone who opposes, no-one appears on the media outlets to defend their opinion..only supporters of the constitution are allowed to oversee the referendum!!! That is considered fraud by the way!! Go out and say no.and only no.and therefore this is not a referendum and what is going on has nothing to do with a referendum, constitution, or democracy. Your referendum smells foul. In this way, we will never achieve stability and the country will never calm down.aren!t you using the techniques of 2005??!!" " There are many days to come, because you are an oppressive authority and will back your worthless constitution the same way that Mubarak backed his 1971 constitution. Oppression will not protect you. And pretending will protect no-one. All of the parties who are pretending to agree with the systemthere are still many round to come patience, patience " Ahmed MaherTorah Prison

Three Years And The Bloodshed Has Not Stopped""

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January 26, 2014

The third anniversary of the 25 January revolution has passed with a recurring scenario despite the change in roles and the change of faces. The only role and the only faces that have not changed are those of the revolutionaries." "

Throughout the past three years, those seeking personal gains have changed roles from celebrating a revolution whose goals had not been fullled to demanding the rights of a revolution that they themselves betrayed. This left the nation searching desperately for those who truly care about its best interests and those who speak the truth and only the truth." " Today the nation called for celebrations of a revolution and called upon its security forces to secure those who celebrated carrying photos of those who the revolution rose up against. And it wasted no efforts in "securing" but volunteered in securing opposition protesters so well that the number of victims at the hands of the security forces reached 40 martyrs." " A nation suffering beneath the grip of a regime that seeks to remove all traces of revolution and deepen its grip on power, and political parties that do not remember the revolution except in order to gain a position or seat of authority, and all the while the blood of the youth searching for the interests of the nation continues to ow in their struggle for their dreams of a better country. Today the security forces oppressed the demonstrations of the revolutionaries before the beginning of the march at Mostafa Mahmoud Square, using tear gas, billets and cartouche. They repeated the same at the Journalists Union and proceeded to run over the protesters reminding us so vividly of the "Friday of Rage" as though they were trying to recreate it." " Under a failed protest law of an incompetent regime whose forces did not even abide to its articles when they proceeded to use live re against the protesters without warning, they have once again proved that their hands are stained with the blood of their own people and that they are incapable of leading the nation. The past few days of violence and unrestricted excessive force have shown the weakness of the current regime, its fear and the nearness of its downfall. One time after another, the solution of a security state is proving to be a failure." " The continuous loss of lives will not lift up the country nor will it build a nation, and the circle of violence and the blood of more martyrs will not give us a state of truth and

justice. The state continues to feed divisions, fuel violence, kill and arrest for the security solution is the only solution it knows." " The foolishness of this regime and its insistence on violence and on disrespecting the sanctity of blood, in spite of the opportunity of an intellectual solution that the movement proposed through its national initiative, will only lead to more bloodshed and further divisions." " We will not be terrorized by violence and will not fear losses for we have become accustomed to them. We announce that this regime is an enemy of the revolution and its principles, and is responsible for the blood of the youth because of its excessive use of force and its refusal to listen to the voice of reason." The state of oppression is still here and will inevitable meet its match soon" The 6 April Youth Movement."Patriotism above politics and principles above interests. Vote Sisi For President " " " " " " February 1, 2013

Oh yesjust as I am telling you.vote for Sisi as president. I am the one who has signed below and my name is Ahmed Maher. I am the one to which they direct all sorts accusations and myths which they have fabricated and continue to fabricate. With all the faculties of my mind, I am saying yes to Sisi as president.not just one yes, but two. And why not??!! Are we going to lie to one another?!! He really is the man of the hour, but my reasons are different from all the others who support Sisi and pushed for his nomination, whether they are supporters of the ex-regime or politically-inactive citizens or political parties or a good-for-nothing elite that will never except anything but crumbs of the ex-regime or the military regime and will never be able to take on competition.let the people try it out for themselveslet!s get this over with. People tried the Brotherhood and saw their incompetency, stubbornness and lies. Let them try the military regime and the ex-regime in authority. Even though military rule has not left Egypt for a single day since 26 July 1952, even after the changes which happened after the 1967 defeat which happened because of the oppression of the military and their strife after their own self-interests. And in spite of the era of Sadat who took off the military uniform and dressed as a civilian, the military remained in control of everything from behind the curtains.

The same is true of the Mubarak eraa maa of businessmen in control of the country with a jurisdiction that no-one can come close to such as the empire of the military,their farms, factories, castles and land. Even in the reign of Morsi, no-one could come close to the empire of the military, their personal interests, their secret deals, and their control of the presidential ofce. So why should they continue to rule from behind the curtain?! Let it be outright military fascismdon!t the people want it? Let them try outright military fascism and the military!s idea of government. Let us try military solutions for economic and social issues, although we have tried them for the past 60 years, but let!s try again. Let the authors and journalists see how freedom of expression will look like under Sisi, and let every journalist who faked support pay the price, and let every author cheering Sisi on know his limits during Sisi!s reign. Let!s go back to the days of the past. Don!t the liberal, leftist and nationalistic parties want Sisi to give them a few posts and positions?!! They!ll see that everything will go to the ex-regimethe military only want the ex-regime. And don!t the supporters of Nasser want Sisi to recreate the days of Gamal Abdel Nasser, so we can go back to the time of a state in which no-one can open their mouth!!! Let them try out Sisi who trained in America and whose income comes from Americano-one can do anything without cooperation with America and permission from Israel. Let them see with their own eyes what Sisi will do with the workers, the public sector and the achievements of the Abel Nasser era." Let the lawyers see what will become of the human rights lawyers, and let the people see how the police will treat them. And while we!re at it, let me remind you of a few things. Do you remember the battle of the camels??!! The day that a"number of groups were arrested at the same time of the attack on Tahrir Squarethe group that was visiting El Baradei and the groups that were at the Egyptian Institute and the Hisham Mubarak Legal Institute. Surely some people are trying to forget in order to nd a place close to authority. But for those who didn!t forget, they can tell us about what happened to them in the military intelligence buildings when they were blindfolded and cuffed at the hands and feet. Do you remember the beatings and torture?? Do you remember Sisi!s voice and his threats??!! You traitors and agents?? You remember how Sisi!s position in your interrogations changed when he found out that millions took to the square after the battle of the camels??

Sisi, the head of military intelligence in the time of Mubarak and in the time of Tantawy, who took the les of the state security and continued their work for them, listening to phone calls during the revolution and after it." Do you remember??!! Would someone please remind the people what happened inside with Sisi??!! Okay forget about that.what about the ways that the military intelligence withdraws information, the same military intelligence that Sisi ran. Do you remember 9 March 2011 and 8 April 2011 and countless other events in which activists were exposed to torture, illegal trials and torture?? Shhh.everyone has forgotten?No, not everyone, thank God. Anyways lets get it over withand just as we saw the tragedies and catastrophes of the Brotherhood rule, let!s see the blatant military rule instead of from behind the curtains. Let the revolution start anew after the military rule. Let us see real oppression and murder and arrests. Let us see a new Abdel Nasser era but this time without social justice and without upsetting Israel. Abdel Nasser Sisi 2014 who trained in America and who cannot upset Israel and who coordinates with" them before making a single move in Sinai. You can tell a lot about a letter from its address. It!s alright in any case.in this way we can nish the battles, and after years build up on a clean slate. We experienced religious fascism, and now the people must see military fascism and oppression and failure that will lead to civil strife and a crippled economy. And therefore: I, who signed below with my full mental capacities at my disposal, announce my support to nominate Sisi as president. Let us fall in the trap, try and build on a clean slate after that Ahmed Maher Torah Prison *It is worth noting that Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohammed Adel have been sentenced to 3 years in prison and a ne of 50,000 Egyptian pounds for violating the protest law and for demonstration against military trials for civilians while Ahmed Maher was turning himself.