PUBLIC AI Index: EUR 42/002/2004

18 June 2004

Further Information on UA 324/01 (MDE 12/035/2001, 19 December 2001) and follow-ups (MDE 12/001/2002, 10 January 2002; MDE 12/003/2002, 22 January 2002; MDE12/006/2002, 1 February 2002; EUR 42/001/2003, 18 December 2003) – Forcible return/risk of torture or ill-treatment

SWEDEN/EGYPT Hanan Attia (f) and her five children

Egyptian national Hanan Attia and her five children have been granted permanent residence in Sweden. They had claimed asylum upon arrival in the country in September 2000.

The Swedish authorities granted them the residence permit on 15 June, on humanitarian grounds. Amnesty International welcomes the move, but believes that they qualify for protection as refugees under international law, which forbids the return of anyone to a country where they would be at risk of serious human rights violations. In Egypt Hanan Attia would be at risk of torture or other serious ill-treatment, as her husband, Ahmed Hussein Mustafa Kamil Agiza, is allegedly a member of an Islamist armed group. He had sought asylum in Sweden but was forcibly returned to Egypt in December 2001. He has allegedly been tortured in custody.

No further action is requested from the Urgent Action network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.