US Agrees to Pay Egyptian Man-in Detention(though cleared of charges)

cont'd: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/01/1446254

The $300,000 settlement is believed to mark the first time the government has agreed to pay out money to a Muslim or Arab man jailed in the post 9/11 sweeps. Other lawsuits remain pending in court.


Ehab Elmaghraby, Egyptian citizen who was detained in New York City shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks and spent nearly a year in jail. According to his lawsuit he was shackled and kicked and punched until he bled. He was subjected to multiple unnecessary body-cavity searches, including one in which correction officers inserted a flashlight into his rectum, making him bleed. He joins us on the phone from Alexandria, Egypt.
Haeyoung Yoon, attorney with the Urban Justice Center representing Ehab Elmaghraby.
Mamoni Bhattacharyya, attorney with the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

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AMY GOODMAN: We welcome you to Democracy Now!

EHAB ELMAGHRABY: Hi. How are you?

AMY GOODMAN: It is good to have you with us. We are also joined in studio by two of his attorneys Haeyoung Yoon of The Urban Justice Center and Mamoni Bhattacharyya of the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. We welcome you both to Democracy Now!

MAMONI BHATTACHARYYA:Thank you for having us.

HAEYOUNG YOON: Thank you for having us.

AMY GOODMAN: Why don't we begin with Ehab Elmaghraby. Your response to the settlement?

EHAB ELMAGHRABY: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Your feeling today after the legal case has been settled? Our producer is translating for our guest.

EHAB ELMAGHRABY: No, no, no, no. I feel not happy because I end up with a case -- you know, at least with the money I get I’m going to cover all the medical problems I have since I returned back from New York. And all of these medical problems never happened before I start having when I was in MDC in Brooklyn. And the same time, you know, I end up with some money to start my life, because since I get back to New York, I won’t be able to work.

AMY GOODMAN: What ails you now? How are you feeling?

EHAB ELMAGHRABY: Since I have been in the MDC in Brooklyn, I have some problem in my throat. And they give me wrong medicine. And I end up with very bad hyper-thyroid.

AMY GOODMAN: I described, somewhat, what you have testified to in your case. But can you tell us exactly what happened to you after September 11?

EHAB ELMAGHRABY: Nothing, I have a normal life. I have my restaurant in Manhattan. And I work in the flea market also on the weekend. And I have a normal life. I have no problem at all. And then September 30, I was returning from the flea market on Sunday, and found four F.B.I. and two secret service at my house. They were talking to me like they were suspecting me because I’m Arab Muslim like I have something to do with September 11. And especially, the husband of the landlord down the stairs, he was applying to learn how to be a pilot. Five, six years ago. In some city. I don't know exactly. So they think, you know, I have something to do with the husband of the landlord. They pick me up from my house and take me to the MDC in Brooklyn.

AMY GOODMAN: What happened to you there?

I don't think it was enough for what he went through.

And, I would have liked to see him stay in this lawsuit to hold our government accountable.

person...he was just too beat up and tired to fight.