El-Deeb’s battle

Farid el-Deeb’s defense of former President Hosni Mubarak is a case that weighs heavily on his mind and heart. This is more than the normal challenge of representing a client, and it goes deeper than a business matter between two parties. I have known Farid el-Deeb for a few years; he has a great knowledge of worldly and religious affairs, and belongs to a family of scholars specializing in Islamic jurisprudence and laws. He often escapes by himself to pray in the Fatimid district of Cairo, in order to seek spiritual serenity and psychological stability.

Mr. el-Deeb never imagined that he would become the lawyer for the former Egyptian President in what has become known as the trial of the century, and one of the most important cases in the history of Egypt, in terms of its impact at present and in the near future. However one day, during a visit to Beirut, el-Deeb was surprised to receive a telephone call from a relative of the former Egyptian president, asking him to immediately travel to Sharm el-Sheikh to meet with Hosni Mubarak who had just relinquished his powers to the Egyptian military and had decided to stay away from Cairo.

In his meeting with the newly ousted president, el-Deeb discovered that Mubarak was merely the subject of a verbal investigation request, in the sense that there was no written document calling for him to be questioned about a non-specific charge.

However, after 24 hours of investigations, Mubarak’s two sons were deported to Cairo to be detained, and then came the order to imprison the former president.

Perhaps this was the most difficult moment in Farid el-Deeb’s life, when he had to tell a man over 80 years old that his two sons were in custody, and that he – i.e. the former president – was facing the same fate. This is despite the fact that there was no legal document – at the time – declaring any charges against his clients.

Whether you are a supporter or opponent of the former Egyptian president, he – as a defendant – has the right to a comprehensive defense in a fair trial, whilst as a prisoner serving a sentence he has the right to receive medical care when necessary.

Farid el-Deeb, a man who lives on Egypt’s soil and serves his country, is now engaged in a battle for humanity, based on his fear that his client, a man whom he loves with genuine feeling, may lose his life due to inadequate hospital equipment in a prison that is not prepared to deal with any severe medical crisis.

Farid el-Deeb’s battle is the battle of a lawyer associated with honesty, intellect and humanity, striving to help the man whom he is defending. This is happening at a time when there are many pseudo-men, and when it has become easy to sell loyalties and consciences.