Dear Friends,
Today, the 26th of December 2017, The Court of Appeals has rendered its verdict, dismissing all charges against me. My absolute innocence of any and all accusations brought against me is now formally certified by the Judiciary. At last!
I want to thank each and every one who has stood by me and believed in my innocence, during these seven long years since the revolution of January 2011 when some politically-motivated persons leveled 118 separate accusations against me.
These absurd accusations were all thoroughly investigated by several different branches of government and the judiciary, and they were dismissed one by one, until in July 2017 the last three misdemeanor charges elicited a horrible lower court verdict of 3.5 years in prison, which I immediately appealed. The verdict was so outrageous that it elicited a huge public response, both in Egypt and internationally.
Although those who stepped forward to stand by me are many, and I thank them each and every one, I would like to thank specifically Dr. Mostafa El-Feki, my successor as Director of the Library of Alexandria, who came and spoke as a witness at the court hearings. In Egypt, Amr Moussa, Mohamed Salmawy, Hoda Abdel Nasser, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, and Mohamed Madkour and Mohamed Anis who were dynamic leaders of the support in Egypt. And my special thanks to Ron Laporte, Rich Roberts, Rovshan Muradov and the late Calestous Juma who were the key people in the enormous international support that my case generated.
Now that the Appeals Court has spoken, and that my honor has been upheld, I wanted to reiterate my undying gratitude to all those who had faith in me and stood by me in these difficult times.
Today, the 26th of December 2017, is a perfect time to enjoy the blessings of the season, and to look forward to the new year. So beyond my thanks, I seize the moment to also wish you and yours all the best for the season and for the new year.
Sincerely
Ismail Serageldin