We hereby respectfully urge your Excellency to show humanity and exercise your constitutional powers to intercede in this case and to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim. Of course, we hope that the others who were convicted with Dr. Ibrahim will be released as well. Such a magnanimous gesture would be most welcomed by our members and the international scientific community.

Early in 2001 the CHR asked NAS/NAE member Dr. Morton Panish and former National Research Council staff member Mr. Jay Davenport to undertake a private mission to Cairo for the committee. The purpose of the mission was to:

• open lines of communication with relevant high level Egyptian government officials regarding Dr. Ibrahim's case;

• meet with relevant and appropriate Egyptians, including representatives of human rights organizations, and with Dr. Ibrahim himself who was released from prison on bail on August 10, 2000, his family, and his colleagues;

• establish whether Dr. Ibrahim's right to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, as promulgated by Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is respected;

• attend as observers Dr. Ibrahim's trial scheduled during the week of February 17, 2001, before the State Security Court; and

• present an assessment of the case to the members of the NAS, NAE, IOM, and the Network for their consideration and possible further action.

Dr. Panish and Mr. Davenport (hereafter referred to as “the delegates”) traveled to Cairo on February 15, 2001, and remained for 12 days. The report that they wrote to the CHR after returning from their mission follows.