[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14659-14660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1020
                             SAMEH KHOUZAM

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1

[[Page 14660]]

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Mr. Sameh Khouzam. 
In 1998, Mr. Khouzam fled Egypt to the United States to escape 
persecution and torture at the hands of the Egyptian officials. Mr. 
Khouzam currently works in my district and by all accounts is an 
upstanding, contributing member of the community.
  In 2004, our courts gave him protection because they believed, ``it 
is more likely than not'' that he would be tortured should he return to 
Egypt. Even our State Department reports outline extensive torture in 
Egypt. Having personally heard stories of individuals who have suffered 
torture by Egyptian authorities, I firmly believe that the court has 
been right to prevent his deportation.
  U.S. officials are now prepared to ignore the court's decision and 
deport Khouzam based on nothing more than ``assurances'' of no torture 
from known torturers.
  Mr. Speaker, a former CIA officer stated this week on an Australian 
news program that sending someone like Khouzam back to Egypt is 
``tantamount to condemning them to death.''
  Our government has the ability to prevent his torture. Do not deport 
Mr. Khouzam.

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