A voice that must be heard and made heard: the cry of Esma's mother Sena Biltaci

The military coup staged against the Revolution in Egypt ruthlessly massacred thousands of civilians, defenseless people, in the public squares. It threw tens of thousands of people into dungeons through arrests without any questioning, and forced tens of thousands more to leave their country and flee abroad under the threat of being killed or arrested. From time to time human rights organizations publish reports on the systematic torture of the people still held in prisons. Unfortunately, however, the tacit support the coup received from the world order from the outset has over time continued in the form of persistent indifference toward human rights. As a result, the growing human rights violations in Egypt continue to be recorded in the ledger of shame of today's world.

Something must of course be done so as not to be complicit in this shame.

Last Sunday, a Human Rights Night was organized by Mazlum-Der at the Ali Emiri Cultural Center in Istanbul. The speech by the mother of Esma Biltaci, whose poor girl was martyred as the target of the coup plotters' sniper assassins, marked the evening. What she related offers a typical cross-section of the rights violations and oppression taking place in Egypt.

It is a voice that must be heard and made heard. So that our consciences do not dry up. Drawing people's attention to this torture, repression and oppression is a responsibility for those who hear it. For that reason, I am relaying her speech verbatim, with the notes and translation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fethi Güngör:

"I am making this speech as the wife of Dr. Muhammed Biltaci, who is held in Turra/al-Aqrab prison in Egypt, to draw attention to the rights violations suffered by the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood held in prisons. I thank the administration of Mazlumder, who offered me this opportunity by inviting me to this gathering.

"My name is Sena Biltaci. I am an Egyptian woman whose family is going through great crises. I am a wife and a mother. I wrote the text of this speech, which tells what has befallen my children and my husband Muhammed Biltaci, suffering great pain over every single word.

"My husband was arrested unjustly and unlawfully on 29 August 2013 by the Egyptian military regime. 35 different cases were filed against my husband, whom they accuse of being one of the symbolic names of the 25 January 2011 revolution and of opposing the military regime, but none of them has yet been concluded.

"My husband Muhammed Biltaci was a faculty member with a doctorate at a university, a member of parliament in the Assembly, a member of the Human Rights Committee in the Egyptian Assembly. How could such a person, immediately after the military regime, suddenly turn into a criminal who had to be tried for 35 separate offenses?! When could he have committed so many crimes?! If he was a sinful man, why had he been entrusted with so many duties?

"My husband is held in Turra/al-Aqrab prison, the worst prison in Egypt. He is subjected to constant torture, and his rights to receive medical assistance and treatment are violated without interruption. All of his property has been confiscated. The small clinic where he practiced medicine has also been completely destroyed.

"My only daughter Esma, who like her father took part in the events at Rabia Square - and was only 17 years old - was shot by a sniper on 14 August 2013 before the eyes of the whole world. Thus my only daughter bade farewell to life at seventeen!

"Four of our sons were prosecuted and arrested. Our son Khalid, only 16 years old, was arrested twice. Because of this he had to live in hiding for a while. On 31 December 2013, our 19-year-old son Anas was arrested unlawfully and sentenced to 5 years in prison! Our son, who is currently held in isolation, in solitary confinement, continues to be subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment.

"Solely on the grounds that I am the wife of Dr. Muhammed Biltaci, they placed me too under surveillance. They spread the news that the security forces were about to file a case against me. Thus they pressured the members of our family who had not gone to prison, in order to force them to leave their homeland and migrate elsewhere.

"After we were forced to leave Egypt, I live with great anxiety because I can no longer get news of my husband and our son, who are detained in Egyptian prisons, and cannot help them. I appeal to all institutions and organizations that can help, and to the consciences of all sensitive people who care about human rights. I ask all organizations and benevolent people who can help to stand up for the violated rights of the people held in Egyptian prisons, starting with my husband and my son, and to ensure that all of them are released.

"We as a family are in great sorrow and pain, especially because those who murdered my daughter Esma have not been held to account. Let alone being held to account, no case has even been filed against the killers to this day!

"Our family was a lively family full of peace and hope. It is because of my belief that justice will be done that I convey this request of mine to you. For I fear for the lives of my son and my husband. I beg you very much: be our voice, support my family and all the prisoners in Egyptian prisons.

"This much is a clear fact: they are deliberately inflicting ill treatment and torture on Dr. Muhammed Biltaci! They are doing this to make him withdraw the complaint petition he wrote against General Sisi and Sohaci. The statement record concerning my husband, prepared by the Egyptian Interior Ministry and submitted to the court for the hearing held in August 2016, was taken under torture and should be considered invalid, and a new defense statement should be taken from Dr. Muhammed Biltaci.

"I am here before you as a sister of yours, as the wife of a brother of yours. Dr. Muhammed Biltaci came to Turkey many times, took part in many of your events, and boarded the Mavi Marmara ship. There is almost no one in Turkey who does not know my daughter Esma, you all love her very much, and we are very happy because of this. But the rights of those held in prison there are being violated, and they are being tortured.

"Therefore, as a sister of yours, I implore you: so that the awareness of rights is preserved, justice is done and humanity does not perish, we expect sensitive people and organizations to take concrete steps for the complete release of my husband, my son and the other prisoners. Thank you all very much..."