Dozens of doctors, trade unionists and academics from Greece, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland and the USA have launched an international statement calling for the release of Egyptian doctors’ union activist Dr Taher Mokhtar following his arrest on 14 January in a dawn raid on his home. Add your name to the statement online here

Download a printable version of the statement here, and a pdf of the poster here.

Read more on the background to this story here

Statement in solidarity with Dr Taher Mokhtar

We were alarmed to hear that our colleague, Dr Taher Mokhtar, a member of the Rights and Freedoms Committee of the Egyptian Doctors Union, was arrested in a dawn raid on his home on 14 January 2016. Taher has played a key role in defending doctors’ and patients’ rights in Egypt, both as a leading activist with the Doctors’ Union and as a tireless campaigner for Egypt’s public health service. He is also an outspoken critic of the current military regime who has taken a courageous public stand in solidarity with victims of state repression across the political spectrum.

We call for Taher’s immediate release and for any charges or case in preparation against him and others arrested with him to be dropped.

We further call on the Egyptian government, military and security services to end the prosecution of opponents of the current regime for the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights, to release all those detained without a fair trial and to end the practice of forced disappearances.

Dr Yorgos Tsironis, member of the General Council, Federation of Hospital Doctors Unions, Greece

Ron Singer, Chair Doctors’ Section UNITE the union, UK

Lot van Baaren, lid Algemeen Bestuur FNV, kaderlid  zorg en welzijn. (General Board FNV union federation)

Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, British Medical Association Junior Doctors’ committee, UK

Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis, British Medical Association Junior Doctors’ committee, UK

Danielle Tiplady, Student nurses’ bursary campaign organiser, UK

Sean Petty, RN, Board of Directors, New York State Nurses Association,*

John Robson MD FRCGP  GP and Reader Queen Mary University of London, UK

Dr Kambiz Boomla. General Practitioner MA MSc MB BChir MRCP FRCGP Senior Clinical Lecturer Queen Mary University London, UK

Dr Anna Livingstone General Practitioner MA MSc MB BS FRCGP, BMA member, UK

Dr Jackie Applebee/Turner GP in Tower Hamlets, Hon Sec of London Region BMA, UK

Chris Griffiths, Professor of Primary Care, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, QMUL

Dr Peadar O’Grady, Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Dublin, Ireland

Dr Christos Argyris, member of the steering committee, health workers union, G. Genimatas Hospital, Athens, Greece

Dr Kostas Katarahias, chair, health workers union, Athens cancer hospital Aghios Savvas, also member of the  of the steering committee of Hospital Doctors Union of Athens (EINAP)

Dr Panos Papanikolaou, member of the  of the steering committee of Hospital Doctors Union of Athens (EINAP), Greece

Dr Michalis Rizos, chair of the steering committee, health workers union, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece

Maria Alifieri, radiology technician, secretary of the steering committee, health workers union, Aglaia Kyriakou Hospital, Athens, Greece

Dr Mihalis Psarris, member of the steering committee, health workers union, University Hospital of Patras, Greece

Eleni Kazolea, nurse, member of the steering committee, health workers union, Aglaia Kyriakou Hospital, Athens, Greece

Spyros Staikos, administration stuff, treasurer of the steering committee, health workers union, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece

Panos Liapopoulos, nurse, member of the steering committee, health workers union, Paidon Pentelis,  Hospital, Athens, Greece

Maria Alexandridou, nurse, member of the steering committee, health workers union, Thriassion,  Hospital, Elefsina, Greater Athens, Greece

Kostas Kostarelos, radiology technician, trade unionist, health workers union, G. Genimatas Hospital, Athens

Vasileios Leftheriotis, trade unionist, health workers union, Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece

Katerina Avramidou, nurse, trade unionist, health workers union, Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece

Dr Dimitra Kalantzi, trade unionist, health workers union,  General Hospital of  Larissa

Argyro Kotzabasaki, nurse, trade unionist, health workers union,  Ippokrateio Hospital of Athens, Greece

Eleni Karamanou, nurse, trade unionist, health workers union, Athens cancer hospital Aghios Savvas, Greece

Kostas Polydoros, administration stuff, trade unionist, health workers union in Private Sector, (OSNIE), Greece

Dr Thanasis Stayridis, trade unionist, in private sector Hospital, Greece

Dr Sylvia Fessa, trade unionist, in private sector Hospital, Greece

Dr Maria Dasiou, trade unionist, in National Organization of Primary Health (EOPYY)

Andrew Pollack, Sr. Data Analyst, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Katie Robbins, MPH, New York, NY, USA

Mats Delsing, medical student university of Amsterdam

Lianne Kleine, medical student, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Robin de Best, medical student, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

J.C.L. Himmelreich, MD MSc, doctor assistant neurology Alkmaar, The Netherlands

Rachel Brult, student doctor, The Netherlands

Elise Beket, student doctor, AMC, The Netherlands

Dr. N. Jafari, Neurologist in Amphia Hospital Breda, The Netherlands

Dina Garane,  member of the steering committee, of high school teachers Union, C ELME of Athens, Greece

Theodosis Fillipou, member of the steering committee, of high school teachers Union,  ELME of Zakynthos, Greece

Paschalis Tapeinopoulos,  member of the steering committee of primary school teachers, of Elefsina, Greater Athens, Greece

Chara Balli, member of the steering committee of primary school teachers of Pella, Northern Greece

Serafim Rizos, member of the steering committee of primary school teachers of Chania, Crete, Greece

Ilias Argyropoulos, member of the steering committee of the federation of the media workers POEPTYM, Greece

Gianna Sakellariou, member of the steering committee of the federation of the media workers POEPTYM, Greece

Mitsos Argyrokastritis, member of the steering committee, Athens Labour Centre, Greece

Yannis Theoharis, member of the steering committee, Federation of Metal Workers Unions, Greece

Panagiotis Kalfagiannis, president of Federation of TV and radio workers unions, Greece

Christina Lada, chair, Primary school teachers union, Messinia department, Greece

Reozili Soundoulidou, member of the steering committee, Local government workers union, Vrilissia, Greater Athens, Greece

Kostas Megagiannis, member of the steering committee, Local government workers union, Ag. Paraskevi, Greater Athens, Greece

Yorgos Botsides, member of the steering committee, Evros Labour Centre, Greece

Nasos Bratsos, member of the General Council, Federation of Journalists Unions, Greece

Antonis Dalakoyeorgos, president, National Union of Seamen, Greece

Margarita Papamina, member of the steering committee, Chania department of the Confederation of Civil Service Unions, Greece

Costas Pittas, secretary, Federation of civil servants unions in the Ministry of Development

Spyros Revithis, president, Athens Metro workers Union, Greece

Antonis Stamatopoulos, ex-president, Athens Metro workers Union, Greece

Vasilis Sylaidis, member of the steering committee, INTRACOM workers union, Greece

Costas Vorgias, member of the steering committee, INTRACOM workers union, Greece

Yannis Tsalimoglou, member of the steering committee, Piraeus Dockers Union, Greece

Nikos Hatzaras, secretary, Local government workers union, Ampelokipi, greater Thessaloniki, Greece

Joanne Landy, Co-Director, Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Bruce G. Trigg, MD-Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Elizabeth T. Matthews, MD-Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Linda Prine, MD, Medical Director, Reproductive Health Access Project

Omar El-Shafei, Translator and independent leftist researcher based in New York

Laura S. Boylan, MD, Adjunct Professor of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine*

*Organization listed for identification purposes only.

Dr. Ghayath Naisse, chef of surgery department, Centre Hospitalier Gneviéve de Gaulle Anthonioz, France.

Dr. Amr Elshora, Egyptian medical syndicate, Egypt.

Sophie Roborgh, PHD candidate, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Harita Meenee, author, Greece.

David McNally, professor York University, Canadian Association of University Teachers, Canada.

Dr. Maria Nikolakaki, Associate professor University of Peloponnese, Greece.

Tim Nicholls, trade union official PCS, United Kingdom.

Dr. Yannis Gourtsoyannis, University College Hospital, United Kingdom.

Dr. Mona Kamal Ahmed, British Medical Association, United Kingdom.

Dr. Dylan Roi, North West London Healthcare Trust, United Kingdom.

Dr. Costis Melolidaki, Associate professor Department of Mathemeatics, University of Athens, Greece.

Roxanne Roshandel, medical student AMC, the Netherlands.

Dr. Lauren Robson, United Kingdom.

Dr. Marc Lavietes, University Hospital / Newark NJ, USA.

Dr. Ahmed Nenaa, orthopedic surgery Kasralainy, Egypt.

Dirk Hoogenkamp, medical student, the Netherlands.

Filareti Zafirpoulos, assistant professor, University of Patras, Greece.

Elizabeth Wrigle-Field, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar, Columbia University, USA.

Alex Buckingham, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, USA.

Philip Gasper, professor emeritus, Notre Dame de Namur University, USA.

Dr. Antony Bolton, NSW Health, United Kingdom.

Anita Sreedhar, medical student, RWJMS, USA.

Dr. Brian Robinson, Unite & BMA, retired, United Kingdom.

Nadia Saeed, Canada.

Maureen van der Pligt, worker union, FNW, Holland.

Mees Mansvelders, AMC-UvA, Netherlands.

Atte Houtsma, trade unionist FNV, Netherlands.

Anja Aaroudse, Netherlands.

Dr. Anna Roberts, Western Sussex NHS trust, United Kingdom.

Robin Koller, medical student, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Martien Wijnen, FNV Zorg&Welzijn,Netherlands.

Anna Kolodziejczyk, medical student, United Kingdom.

Michael Letwin, attorney, Former President, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, United States.

Dr. Brian Gibbons, general practice, FRCGP, Wales, UK.

Bart Griffioen, Netherlands.

Wilbert Boeijen, Netherlands.

Michael Marchman, educator, United States.

G.J. Bruijn, Netherlands.

D.J Overdijk, trade unionist, FNV, Netherlands.

Zambia Katsanevaki, NTUA, laboratory teaching staff, Ελλάδα.

Emma Sundqvist, Lund University, Sweden.

Anna Sneijdet, Holland.

Maya Finoh, student, United States.

Dr. Erick Thomas, United States.

Dr. Ralph Rynes, retired physician, United States.

A.M. Van Duuren, Netherlands.

Ian Crosson, teacher, Tower Hamlets College, UK.

Petronella van der Hamsvoord, Netherlands.

Edna Bonhomme, PhD Candidate, United States.

Dr. Evangelia Antoniou, TEI ATHENS-MIDWIFERY, LECTURE OF MIDWIFESY, Greece.

Judith Swift, WEA, URTU/GMB, teacher, UK.

Dennis Kosuth, National Nurses United, Cook County Hospital, United States.

Adam Cochrane, United Kingdom.

Kelly Eamonn, senior lecturer, University of South Wales, UCU, United Kingdom.

Dr. Ben Hart, GP, Chrisp Street Health Centre, BMA/Unite, United Kingdom.

Alex de Jong, Netherlands.

Elizabeth Lalasz, Nurse Representative-National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, United States.

Arthur Nicoll, communications officer, Dundee City Unison Branch, Unison, Scotland.

Brian Kelly, United States.

Malcolm Povey, Professor of Food Physics, University of Leeds, UCU, United Kingdom.

Dr. Christian Hogsbjerg, University of Leeds, UNISON, United Kingdom.

John Baker, teacher (retired), EHWLC, UCU, United Kingdom.

Dr. Gabriella Alberti, lecturer, University of Leeds, UCU, United Kingdom.

Dr. Spyridon Symniakou, General Practitioner, UK.

Bahadur Najak, Durham University, UCU, England.

Anthony Arnove, editor Haymarket Books, National Writers Union, United States.

Dr. Mervyn Nicholson, faculty, Thompson Rivers University, Canada.

Dr. Sarah Alhulail, GP Trainee, BMA, United Kingdom.

James Lauderdale, USA.

Mike Lammiman, Clinical trials coordinator, University of Hull/ Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, UCU, UK.

Dr. Saber Elsafty, HSE Galway, GP, Ireland.

Sean Wallis, Senior Research Fellow in Corpus Linguistics, University College London, UCU, UK:

Miriam Scharf, teacher, Newham Teachers Association, NUT, UK.

Andrea Nader, Health Care Worker, North Yorks County Council, England.

Tracy Kwon, nurse, United States.

Maria Paradeisi, Assistant Professor, Panteion University, Ελλάδα.

Cameron Stocks, medical student, Barts and the London, Unite, BMA, United Kingdom.

Katinka Nauta, medical student, University of Groningen, Netherlands.

Maarten Hoogland, Environmental Health, Netherlands.

Jackie Oversby, Retired Charity Worker, Unite, United Kingdom.

Sean Petty, HHC, Pedriatic Emergency Room Nurse, New York State Nurses Association, United States.

Ella Wind, Graduate Student, New York University, GSOC-UAW, United States.

Middle East-North Africa Justice Committee, National Lawyers Guild-International, USA.

Suzanne Adely, Attorney, Labor for Palestine, USA.

Audrey Bomse, lawyer, National Lawyers Guild, USA.

Nicoline Maarschalk Meijer, house wife, FNV, Netherlands.

Suzy Franklin, NHS, UNISON, UK.

William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Defender and Freelance Journalist, United Kingdom.

Camille Tsang, Unite the Union (Health), UK.

Paraskevas Psanis, Greece.

Andy Ridley, Student Nurse, Bartshealth, UK.

Jennifer Morrison, Nurse, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland, UK.

S de Jong, medical student, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Nicola Saunders, Psychotherapist, Unite, UK.

Rosalind Howell, Movement Psychotherapist, United Kingdom.

Nick Davis, Psychotherapist, England.

Beatrice Millar, Councellor, Psychotherapists and Counsellors Union.

Sandor Schokker, Internal Medicine, Westfriesgasthuis, Netherlands.

Brian Champ, Canada.

Dr. Coral Jones, GP, London Fields Medical Centre, Unite, UK.

Dr. Stephen Oren, USA.

Reinhard Stran, GO, Germany.

Dough Seidman, United States.

Karen Pfeifer, retired, United States.

Howie Hawkins, Teamsters, USA.

Peter Lentelink, FNV, Netherlands.

Uklas Uklasius, Naval engineer, Greece.

Dr. Jesse McLaren, Emergency Medicine, Canada.

Steve Leigh, Fiscal Specialist, University of Washington, SEIU, USA.

Jeffrey Hurford, UK.

Carol Beck, Teaching Assistant Admin, School Secondary, Unite, UK.

Alan Fenton    Bradford District    Community Matron    RCN
Tez Calvert    Bradford District    CPN    GMB
Philippa Jones    University of Leceister    Medical Student    BMA
Vicky Mayers    University of Manchester    Medical Student    BMA
T Omar    University of Keele    Medical Student    BMA
Bala Lyoukaran, University of Birmingham    Doctor    BMA
Thabo Miller    Coyles Medical    Paediatrics    BMA
Antony Lempert    Wylcwm Street Surgery Knighton    GP    BMA and Unite
Emma Runswick    University of Manchester    Medical Student    BMA
David Wrigley    NHS    GP    BMA and Unite
Kanwar Panesar    Actnagelvin Hospital    General Surgeon    BMA
Vijoy Singh    Locum GP    GP    BMA
Penelope Jarrett    GP    GP    BMA
Professor Wendy Savage    Retired gynaecologist    Obstetrics and Gynaecology    BMA and Unite
Professor Allyson Pollock    Queen Mary University of London    Public Health    BMA and Unite
Ellen McCourt    HRI    A&E    BMA
Zoe Greaves        Public Health    BMA
Kelly Cruickshank    GMW    Psychiatry    BMA
Amy Elliott    University of Leceister    Medical Student    BMA
Jo Sutton-Klein    University of Sheffield    Medical Student    BMA
Ruhe Chowdhury    Kings College London    Oncology    BMA
Kamlesh Sheth    Pharmacological Medicine    Pharmacology    BMA
Maharukh Daruwalla    Lister Hospital    Plastic Surgery    BMA
Pouya Alenbari    Kings College London    Orthopaedics    BMA
Ruth Hoggrett    Freeman Hospital Newcastle    Gastroenterology    BMA
Janet Bolaji    Morriston Hospital    Medical Student    BMA
Ben Molyneux    Neaman Practice    GP    BMA
Jessica Court    University of Birmingham    Medical Student    BMA