Peaceful candlelight vigil for Ayman Nour

With Wednesday marking the beginning of Ayman Nour’s third year in prison, dozens of the famous dissident’s supporters had gathered at Cairo’s Talaat Harb Square for a candlelight vigil. However, riot police intervened, cordoning off the protest.

According to the article: “No violence was reported at the protest at the downtown Cairo headquarters of Nour’s opposition party, called al-Ghad or Tomorrow. Some 10 police trucks stood parked by the Talaat Harb Square as riot police cordoned off the party offices, while protesters crammed onto the balcony, the hallway and the street outside. Plainclothes policemen hurried passer-by away from the protesters, who held candles and chanted “Long live Ayman Nour” and “Down with state of emergency.”

It added: “Nour is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly forging signatures on petitions to register his political party. He complained earlier this year of heart and eye problems, but an Egyptian court in July turned down his request to review whether his jail sentence was endangering his health. A diabetic dependent on insulin, Nour has also undergone cardiovascular surgery while in prison.”

The article also noted that: “Even though the United States has called for greater democratic reform in Egypt, it has lately eased off pressure on Cairo in what is perceived as a U.S. effort to shield its leading Mideast Arab ally.”

For the full article, click here.