Lawmakers Allege Egyptian Interference in Torture Suit
Eric Lewis was quoted in Foreign Policy on the Egyptian government's response to client Mohamed Soltan's lawsuit against former Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi.
“It’s outrageous that they would try to protect a former government official from his responsibility for torture,” Eric Lewis, Soltan’s lawyer, told Foreign Policy. “Torture is never a legitimate act of any sovereign government. So to say well, ‘Oh, we tortured, and he was prime minister, and therefore it’s authorized’—you can’t authorize torture. It is a breach of international law. It is basically an attempt by the Egyptians to call in a political favor and have the United States give a free pass to torture. That is contrary to law and contrary to our values.” Lewis said that other than the official lawsuit, he and his client have not been in contact with any representative from Egypt.