CAIRO, December 10 (IslamOnline.net) - As the UN marked Friday, December 10, the Human Rights Day, Egyptian security forces stopped a solidarity convoy with the Palestinian people from reaching its destination at the Rafah crossing border, an action dismissed by a Human Rights Watch representative as “unfortunate.”

The convoy, put together by the Egyptian Popular Committee for Solidarity with Palestine, comprised representatives of solidarity groups with the Palestinians from France, England, Ireland, Spain, Austria and Greece.

The aim of the aid convoy, the 26^th by the Committee since its formation October 13, 2000 [two weeks after the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada], was to highlight the human rights of the Palestinian people in the UN’s annual Human Rights Day, according to one of the Committee’s founders.

“We’ve invited European human rights activists to join us in highlighting the plight of the Palestinians as the world marks Human Rights Day,” Adel Wasily, an Egyptian engineer and one of the key players in the Committee told IOL over the phone from Sinai.

“290 figures, Egyptians and Europeans, accompanied the aid convoy, aiming to deliver it to representatives of Palestinian popular committees at the Rafah crossing point. But we were stopped by Egyptian security forces at Balouzah [some 100 kms before Areesh in northern Sinai].

“Our way was blocked by rows of security forces and we were stopped from moving on. One Egyptian was wounded and another suffered a heart attack. Currently, we are still out here in the desert, not knowing how this will come to an end.”

Wasily said hundreds or even thousands of security forces stopped the convoy at Balouzah, as state security officers from Areesh were deployed and "ready to stop the solidarity march at any cost."

A spokesman of the Egyptian Interior Ministry denied having any information on the incident and insisted the convoy organizers - in case what they were saying was true - must have failed to get the necessary permissions and paper work to make it to Rafah.

One of the organizers, however, said a fax was sent to the Interior Minister some three days ago, informing him about the aid convoy and the presence of foreign activists, including members of parliament.

Egyptian security forces have been repeatedly accused of gross human rights violations.

Contacted by IOL, director of Human Rights Watch, Middle East Division, Joe Stork, expressed his deep sorrow for the incident calling it “unfortunate, no significant is the right word here as it took place in Areesh where the arbitrary arrests and serious torture of people also took place weeks ago”.

Stork was referring to the massive arrests and torture of Egyptians in Sinai by the security forces following the Taba bombings October 7. Ironically enough, the Human Rights official is in Cairo currently to investigate the Areesh human rights violations.

“I certainly know about today’s convoy. They [organizers] have been publicizing it for quite some time now. No one from the Egyptian government contacted them to say they could not carry on with it,” Stork added.

He called the tragic incident, which also saw the arrest of six members of the Areesh branch of the solidarity committee, an “interference by the government with the right of Egyptians to extend a hand of solidarity to the Palestinians”.

Reporters Harassed

The French delegation comprised three solidarity groups with the Palestinians from Paris and San Denie, accompanied by MP Alima Boumediene, who is also a former member of the European Parliament.

Some Egyptian, foreign and Arab reporters and an Al-Jazeera TV crew were also accompanying the convoy, along with a crew from the French Radio.

Egyptian security forces seized Al-Jazeera camera, confiscated the film and insisted not to give it back until the crew withdrew at least five kms from the scene of confrontations at Balouzah.

“When we came to the roadblock. Only trucks loaded with aid items [rice, flour and blankets worth 800.000] were allowed to pass, only to be stopped some 40 kms away. Security leaders at the roadblock told us they contacted Cairo and were waiting for the response,” one of the organizers told IOL.

He further added that foreigners with them tried to convince the police forces to let them continue their way, but in vain.

Some 300 Egyptian public work activists set up the Popular Committee some four years ago, with the aim of collecting donations to help alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinian people.

Currently, the committee comprises thousands of members in its Cairo branch alone, according to Wasily, with 10 other branches in other Egyptian governorates, such as Daqahliya, Damietta, Sharqiya…etc.

The Committee attracts as members doctors, engineers, teachers, reporters, writers, students, workers, housewives…etc.