Rice calls on Mubarak to release jailed opposition leader; later denied by committee

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for the release of Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour, before meeting with Egypt’s foreign minister this week, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Nour is currently serving a five-year sentence for reportedly submitting forged documents to establish his political party.

Last month, a series of Egyptian human rights groups urged the government to release Nour due to his rapidly diminishing health conditions. Nour, who is diabetic, has had health problems since his cardiac catheterization procedure last December. According to members of Nour’s family, prison authorities have prohibited doctors and lawyers from visiting him; a violation of international rights, as well as the Egyptian constitution.

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An Egyptian governmental medical committee has ruled that Ayman Nour’s health conditions are not grave enough to grant his release from prison. While Ayman Nour’s initial prison sentence was politically motivated, Nour’s wife, Gameela Ismail, was shocked at the decision of the committee – citing this decision to be politically motivated as well.

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