Abdul Rahman not allowed to talk about politics

The leader of the Gamaat Islamya in Egypt, Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, made a phone call to his family members from his prison in the USA. Abdul Rahman declined to talk about any political issues after the prison administration threatened to disconnect the call if he talked about any political issues.

Abdul Rahman complained against the tough measures taken against him in the prison. Abdul Rahman's wife who is in Cairo said that her husband refused to answer a question asked by one of his family members regarding what comments made last June that Abdul Rahman blessed the peaceful initiative to halt all acts of violence which was called by leading members of the Gamaat Islamya, who are in prison for assassinating the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

Abdul Rahman informed his family members that the phone call was monitored and that it would be disconnected if he tried to answer. His wife Aisha added that her husband informed her that the prison administration refused many requests submitted by his American lawyer to move him from his solitary cell and refused to allow him a medical examination after his weight decreased to 55 kilograms.

Aisha also added that Abdul Rahman asked her to appeal to international human rights organizations to pressure the US administration to treat her husband in a good way.

The prison administration had refused a request submitted by Abdul Rahman to change his translator as it said that none of Abdul Rahman's assistants will be allowed to visit him regularly for translation which is the alternative suggested by Abdul Rahman.