MATtERS ARISING

Trafficking in human beings & organs in Sinai: everything the same
By Everyone Group

Here is another case of abduction and atrocities against a young Eritrean. We received the first report today by Tesfay, an Eitrean refugee who lives in the EU. 

Rome / Arish, April 28, 2012. Trafficking in human beings and organs in the Sinai, surrounded by the indifference, is tragic just like it was before. 

"Dear friends of EveryOne Group, I have always followed your admirable efforts in the fields of migration and social justice. This time I contact you for the case of my nephew who is captured by a gang of marauders in the Sinai desert. They gave me an ultimatum, while my nephew Samuel (fictious name) was under torture. For his release the Bedouin criminals have asked me $ 33 000. I ask your cooperation to solve this problem. I am available to give you all the information needed to solve the case. On my cell phone is their phone number as follows: (omitted). Thanking you in advance; I look forward to receiving your response. Tesfay"

We immediately alerted the activists working in the Sinai and those who have been sometimes able to obtain the release of refugees without ransom, but also the Egyptian authorities and the international institutions. In our appeal, we asked the representatives of the UNHCR, the EU Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Commission to strengthen efforts to save this guy and all groups of refugees who are in the hands of traffickers in the Northern Sinai: "Please do everything you are able to help him.

For our part, we are contacting local authorities and all those organizations or people who can do something. We are trying to organize an international conference about the trafficking in Sinai to be held in Egypt, involving media, authorities and institutions.

We're planning to realize this project in Cairo, because the cities of the Sinai are controlled by corrupted authorities and bands of marauders.

With your help, we can probably realize a major event, capable of moving the conscience of the international authorities. We have - through a partnership with an NGO very active in the Sinai territories - lots of raw and truthful photographs, which show the murders, the tortures, the terrible abuses committed by the marauders.

We can not, we should not continue to accept that the gangs sell, kill, torture, rape, cut in pieces so many human beings. However, if we continue to commit only ourselves, with few volunteers working on site between the difficulties and dangers, it will be difficult to combat with success a criminal phenomenon that "produces" every year tens of millions of euros and involves jihadist religious movements, political organizations, the mafia and the corrupted police. Thanks for your attention. Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro, Dario Picciau, co-presidents of EveryOne Group".