Strasbourg/Rome, 24/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - French Socialist Béatrice Patrie, president of the EP delegation for relations with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, has written to the Egyptian authorities to allow MEPs at the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly session on 13-15 March, to visit Ayman Nour, the leader of the El Ghad (Tomorrow) opposition party, imprisoned since 29 January. Ms Patrie is also calling for Mr Nour's release.
Emma Bonino MEP (ALDE, Italy), has written to the president of the Egyptian parliament, Ahmed Fathy Sorour, who is currently president of the EuroMed Assembly. Bonino noted that Mr Nour had been arrested after having had “his parliamentary immunity withdrawn in an irregular way and after having been accused of using false signatures for obtaining the legalisation of the party he had founded”. Ms Bonino pointed out that this party had already been legalised.