Suleiman more of the same, critics say

CAIRO — Vice President Omar Suleiman of Egypt has won the blessing of both the Mubarak and Obama administrations as the leader of a political transition toward democracy in Egypt. But human rights advocates say that so far Suleiman, who also is in charge of Egyptian intelligence, has shown no sign of discontinuing the practice of extra-legal detention of political opponents — a hallmark of President Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule that is a central grievance of the protesters in the streets.

"These are exactly the same practices that inspired the Jan. 25 demonstrations in the first place, not a departure," said Heba Morayef, a researcher with Human Rights Watch in Cairo.

That is one reason many of the opposition leaders and protesters in the streets say they are determined not to back down until Mubarak leaves office: If he stays, they say, they risk imprisonment, torture and death.

The most notable example is the long disappearance of Wael Ghonim, a Google executive and leader of the young Internet activists who started the revolt. Believed by many to be the anonymous host of the Facebook page that first called for the Jan. 25 protest that kicked off the Egyptian uprising, he disappeared two days later, and after a thorough search of area hospitals his family and human rights workers have concluded that he was taken by Egyptian security forces.

The pattern was most evident last Thursday when the authorities rounded up scores of journalists and human rights workers all around Cairo. Though most foreigners appear to have been released, many Egyptians are still out of sight or in custody.

On Thursday evening, for example, a group of about 10 young online political organizers — part of the group that started the revolt with an online call to protest — were taken into custody.

After one of their wives confirmed that the group had been arrested, a human rights lawyer went to the Haram police station to inquire about their defense. He, too, was arrested. On Saturday night, a human rights worker said they had been released, but there were no details given.