Khaled al-Qazzaz

Khaled Al-Qazzaz (born July 3, 1979) is an educator, philanthropist, and human rights activist based in Egypt and Canada. Al-Qazzaz graduated from the University of Toronto with a master's degree in mechanical engineering in 2003.[1]

Al-Qazzaz was an aide to Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.[2] He was forcibly detained by the Egyptian military on July 3, 2013, along with the president and eight other government aides during the Egyptian coup d'etat .[3] Al-Qazzaz remained in an unknown military location for five and a half months. During this time, the Egyptian regime refused to acknowledge that it was holding Al-Qazzaz or to confirm his whereabouts, putting him outside the protection of the law.[4] Eventually, Al-Qazzaz was transferred to Tora Prison (Scorpion Wing) on December 17, 2014, and held in solitary confinement for nine months.[5] On October 26, 2014, Al-Qazzaz continued his detention in a private hospital for three months due to injuries sustained as a result of his confinement. As a result of efforts spearheaded by his Canadian wife Sarah Attia with the Free Khaled Al-Qazzaz Campaign, Al-Qazzaz was released on January 11, 2015.[6] Despite his release and cleared legal position, Al-Qazzaz was unable to return to Canada for unknown reasons.[7] Al-Qazzaz waited another 19 months for a return to Canada and was in need of immediate medical attention.[8] Attia and the Free Khaled al-Qazzaz campaign had been calling on Canadian and Egyptian governments as well as the international community to urgently assist in securing Al-Qazzaz’s immediate return to Canada.[9]

On August 14, 2016, Al-Qazzaz returned to Canada.[10]

Political experience

Al-Qazzaz participated in the events of the 2011 Egyptian revolution.[11] After the Freedom and Justice Party won the democratic election in June 2012, Khaled was asked to work for the government as a civil servant.[12]

Human rights work

During his term in the Presidential Office, Khaled Al-Qazzaz was directly involved in developing new strategies for the government. Among these initiatives, Khaled was credited with being the first to initiate a Human Rights Portfolio and desk at the Egyptian Presidency.[13]

Alongside his political involvement, Khaled continued to advocate for investment in education and education reform as a priority for Egypt.[14]

Imprisonment

On July 3, 2013, Al-Qazzaz was detained by the Egyptian military along with the president and eight other government aides.[15] Khaled remained in an unknown military location for five and a half months, during which time the Egyptian regime refused to acknowledge that it was holding Khaled or to confirm his whereabouts, putting him outside the protection of the law.[16]

On December 1, 2013, Human Rights Watch issued a statement accusing the Egyptian government of forcibly disappearing Al-Qazzaz for almost five months.[17] The statement read that Al-Qazzaz “remains detained without any legal basis at an undisclosed location.”

Solitary confinement

On December 17, 2014 Khaled was transferred to a maximum security prison, the Scorpion Wing in Tora Prison, and held in solitary confinement for over nine months.[18] Reports later revealed that Al-Qazzaz was held in solitary confinement in a two by two meter cell in one of Egypt’s most notorious prisons.[19][20][21]

During his confinement, Al-Qazzaz and his lawyers appeared in court on numerous occasions as part of the legal proceedings to call for an end to his detainment. Many of the court appearances ended with the judge extending Al-Qazzaz’s detainment for another 45 days for further investigations.[22]

Hospitalization and release

On October 26, 2014, Khaled was moved to a private hospital where he continued his detention for over three months due to injuries sustained as a result of the extreme conditions of his confinement.[23]

On Monday, December 29, 2014, the Attorney General issued an order for Al-Qazzaz’s release. Investigations with Al-Qazzaz came to an end and no charges would be issued. Al-Qazzaz was released on January 11, 2015.[24]

When Khaled was first detained, the group Friends of Khaled came together to stand with his wife, Sarah Attia, in her efforts to bring her husband back home to Canada.[25] This was the inception of the FreeKQ (Free Khaled al-Qazzaz) Campaign. While Friends of Khaled began as a group of university alumni who knew Khaled while he studied at the University of Toronto.[26] Currently, Friends of Khaled has grown across Canada and internationally to include advocates of human rights.

The FreeKQ campaign has led initiatives such as phone call campaigns, letter-writing campaigns, petition campaigns, and a ‘pay-it-forward.’[27]

Return to education

Khaled was detained in Egypt for two years until 2016. He was then released and returned to Canada.[28] While in Egypt, he was unable to travel, and his legal team worked with local authorities to facilitate his return to Canada.[29] During that time, he resumed his Doctorate program at Walden University and re-initiated his work in Education consultancy in Egypt.

Statements and interviews

Amnesty International reported that any charges brought against him were deliberately fabricated to make him appear guilty.[30] The United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that Khaled’s detention was in violation of Egyptian and international law.[31]

References
  1. "Community rallies around detained alumnus Khaled Al-Qazzaz". The Varsity. 2014-11-24. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  2. Zillio, Michelle (January 12, 2015). "Canadian resident freed from Cairo jail needs medical attention: wife". CTV. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  3. "Egypt: Morsy Aides Moved From Secret Detention". Human Rightw Watch. Human Rights Watch. 25 December 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  4. Neve, Alex. "Letter to The Honourable John Baird re the cases of Mohamed Fahmy and Khaled al-Qazzaz in Egypt". Amnesty International. Amnesty International. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  5. "Stephen Harper, Khaled Al-Qazzaz needs your help". Toronto Star. July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  6. Bushra, Shadi (January 11, 2015). "Former aide to ousted Egyptian president Mursi released from jail: relatives". Reuters. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  7. "Khaled Al-Qazzaz still not being allowed to leave Egypt for Canada". CBC News. The Canadian Press. April 16, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  8. "Khaled Al-Qazzaz, Canadian Resident, Released After More Than A Year In Egyptian Custody". Huffington Post. The Canadian Press. January 11, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  9. Stephanie, Nebehay (August 26, 2014). "Wife of imprisoned aide to Egypt's Mursi brings case to U.N." Reuters. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  10. "Khaled Al-Qazzaz back in Toronto after release from Egypt", Toronto Star, The Canadian Press. Sept.2, 2016
  11. Kutty, Faisal (May 10, 2016). "Time for Egypt to allow Khaled al-Qazzaz to return home". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  12. Kutty, Faisal (May 10, 2016). "Time for Egypt to allow Khaled al-Qazzaz to return home". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  13. Al-Qazzaz, Khaled (June 27, 2015). "Why is the world so silent?". New York Times. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  14. Attia, Sarah (June 26, 2015). "My husband has been illegally held in an Egyptian prison for a year. Enough". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  15. Watch, Human Rights (December 2013). "Egypt: Morsy's Ex-Aides Forcibly Disappeared". Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  16. "Egypt: Morsy's Ex-Aides Forcibly Disappeared". Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch. December 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  17. "Egypt: Morsy's Ex-Aides Forcibly Disappeared". Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch. December 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  18. Abaza, Jihad (December 12, 2014). "Amnesty calls for medical treatment of Al-Qazzaz". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  19. Attia, Sarah (June 4, 2014). "My Husband's Been Detained in Egypt 320 Days Without Charge". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  20. Obourn, Erin (June 28, 2014). "Khaled Al-Qazzaz, Mohamed Fahmy supported at rallies to improve prison conditions". CBC News. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  21. International, Amnesty. "Egypt: Former presidential aide Khaled al-Qazzaz freed". Amnesty International. Amnesty International. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  22. Abdel-Kouddous, Sharif (June 25, 2014). "Canadian family of another Egyptian detainee 'hit hard' by Fahmy ruling". Toronto Star. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  23. Knibutat, Spencer (November 24, 2014). "Community rallies around detained alumnus Khaled Al-Qazzaz". The Varsity. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  24. "Egypt: Further information: Khaled al-Qazzaz released without charge". Amnesty International. 2015-01-30. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  25. Spencer, Jason (November 20, 2014). "Campaign urges acts of kindness on behalf of political prisoner". Mississauga News. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  26. "QED - Our Team". Al-Qazzaz Foundation for Education & Development. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  27. Spencer, Jason (November 20, 2014). "Campaign urges acts of kindness on behalf of political prisoner". Cambridge Times. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  28. Nasser, Shanifa (September 1, 2016). "'A dream come true': Khaled Al-Qazzaz stuck in Egypt since 2013 arrest finally home". CBC. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  29. Ward, Olivia (June 14, 2015). "Released from jail, ailing Canadian resident still trapped in Egypt". Toronto Star. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  30. International, Amnesty. "Letter to The Honourable John Baird re the cases of Mohamed Fahmy and Khaled al-Qazzaz in Egypt". Amnesty International. Amnesty International. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  31. Letter, Open (July 15, 2014). "Stephen Harper, Khaled Al-Qazzaz needs your help". Toronto Star. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
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