The Sinai Province organization affiliated with the Islamic State claimed responsibility for many of the attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds of Egyptian civilians (Al Jazeera)

A human rights organization revealed that one of the senior leaders of the Islamic State in the Egyptian Sinai is now living freely with his family after his release and a general pardon issued by the government of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2021.

The Sinai Foundation for Human Rights reported - yesterday, Thursday - that Muhammad Saad Kamel, known by the nom de guerre “Abu Hamza al-Qadi,” was among ISIS leaders and fighters who surrendered themselves to the Egyptian authorities three years ago in exchange for their release.

A report on the British Middle East Eye website quoted the organization as saying that the judge was the third man in leadership of the Sinai Province organization affiliated with the Islamic State, the organization that is based in Sinai, and he was also the organization’s mufti and chief judge between 2016 and 2021.

Bloody attack

The organization explained that the judge issued a fatwa permitting the attack on a mosque in North Sinai in 2017, and the attack resulted in the killing of more than 305 worshipers during Friday prayers.

This is the bloodiest attack in the history of Egypt due to the large number of civilian casualties that fell as a result.

The organization confirmed that “Abu Hamza Al-Qadi currently lives with his wife and children and owns housing and a monthly salary,” and no charges have been brought against him since his surrender in 2021.

She said, "The judge's fatwas paved the way for an unprecedented bloody phase against civilians in Sinai, permitting the shedding of the blood of all civilians who deal with the army, whether that is through delivering water to a military point, transporting cement from an army factory, or working in affiliated construction projects." "For the army."

An Egyptian military source said that some of the released members of the organization were transferred to Ismailia, west of the Suez Canal, and other unnamed areas, where they are “under strict surveillance by military intelligence.”

The source - who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press - stated that "all terrorist suspects who surrender themselves to the army and accept peaceful cooperation are dealt with in a decent manner."

He added, "There are suspects who received amnesty to live in peace with their families under the protection of the authorities to help the state neutralize the threat of other extremists."

Where does the judge live?

The Middle East Eye report indicated that it was unable to independently verify the judge's whereabouts.

However, a report published last Wednesday attributed the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch to say that 4 residents of North Sinai testified that relatives of ISIS members and their families live in Ismailia and other nearby places, where the security services provide them with monthly salaries and identity cards for use within the area. Specific.

The Egyptian government estimates that at least 650 civilians have been killed by Sinai Province since 2013. The group was relatively small and poorly armed, according to local tribal sources in Sinai who spoke to Middle East Eye, and was officially defeated in 2022.

Ahmed Salem, the organization’s executive director, said, “Amnesty for members of armed groups who laid down their weapons should never extend to those who deliberately committed serious crimes such as deliberately targeting or killing civilians.”

Comparisons

The judge's surrender was announced on September 10, 2021, by the Sinai Tribes Union, a pro-government militia based in North Sinai that is closely allied with the armed forces and led by Ibrahim Al-Arjani, an ally of President Sisi, according to the newspaper.

In a Facebook post, the militia described the judge as “one of the senior extremist leaders,” “the head of the Sharia Court (in Sinai Governorate),” and “the leader of the preachers of extremist terrorist elements.”

She said that his arrest was carried out "after coordination and ensuring safe passage for him and his family (wife and 3 children) and guiding him until he was handed over. We confirm for the millionth time that the leaders of the terrorist organization who are killed or surrender daily are a testimony to the achievements of the armed forces on the battlefields."

The organization's statement said that the laws of armed conflict allow for a broad amnesty upon the end of hostilities, but this does not include individuals suspected of or accused of committing serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The release of ISIS fighters has drawn comparisons between the amnesty and Sisi's policy of arresting tens of thousands of peaceful critics of his regime since 2013.

The statement added, "The citizen has the right to know clearly what are the criteria followed for granting amnesty to individuals suspected of committing large-scale acts of violence and mass murders, while at the same time not granting it to political opponents accused of publishing or protesting on social media."

There are about 65,000 political prisoners opposed to Sisi in Egyptian prisons, according to a study issued by the Arab Network for the Defense of Human Rights issued in April 2021.

Source: Middle East Eye