April 6 to protest detention of Egyptian lawyer in Saudi

Ahmed El-Gizawi was jailed by Saudi authorities in 2012 for 'smuggling drugs' but supporters claim he was targeted for highlighting human rights abuses in the kingdom April 6 Youth Movement (Democratic Front) has announced plans to join forces with the family of Ahmed El-Gizawi, an Egyptian lawyer detained in Saudi Arabia, in a silent protest on Wednesday outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Cairo.The protest, which marks a year since El-Gizawi's detention, will press for his release and condemn "negligence by the Egyptian authorities and Saudi Arabia's intransigent position on the issue."In January, a Saudi court sentenced El-Gizawi to five years in jail and 300 lashes.He was detained by Saudi authorities in April 2012 as he entered the kingdom to perform Umrah, a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, for allegedly smuggling drugs into the country.A march will begin from Cairo University in Giza to the Saudi embassy in Dokki, the group said in a Tuesday statement.The youth group also announced its intention to send a delegation to meet the Saudi ambassador to request an amnesty for El-Gizawi.Egyptian activists say the charges were trumped up by the Saudis after El-Gizawi's public denunciation of human rights violations in the Gulf kingdom.Egyptians have arranged several protests over his arrest, leading the Saudis to recall their ambassador in April 2012. source : Ahramonline