12/06/2012 (Agence Europe) -Martin Schulz' support for Asmaa Mahfouz. On Monday 11 June at the opening of the plenary session, the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, announced that he had sent a letter to EU High Representative Catherine Ashton requesting that the EU's ambassador in the capital of Egypt, “personally attends” the trial of the 2011 Sakharov prize-winner, the human rights activist, Asmaa Mahfouz, who is facing a possible prison sentence. Schulz stated: “I have rarely seen such an impressive fighter for democracy” as Ms Mahfouz. He added that the European Parliament had to tell the Egyptian people that individuals like Mahfouz “are Egypt's future and they should not be imprisoned but supported”. (CG/transl.fl)