Ashraf Shahin is an Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

ian politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

 and legal consultant, living in exile

Exile

Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...

. He is the secretary-general

Secretary-General

-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...

 of Amal Masr (Hope for Egypt), which opposes the Mubarak regime and promotes democrat

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

ization in Egypt, and of the European African Human Rights Organization (EAHRO).

Education

He studied law (MA

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in international law

International law

Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...

). In 2008, he commenced studying for a PhD

PHD

PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

 in international Law.

His political views

He joined a student labor party movement named Shabab Hezb el-3amal, which organized literary events, readings and other activities. After returning from studies in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, he was arrested and tortured at Tora

Tora

Tora or TORA may refer to:In computing:* Temporally Ordered Routing Algorithm, for routing data across wireless mesh network or mobile ad hoc networks* TOra, a database administration and development tool...

 prisons. He was later transferred to the Abu Zaabal political prison where he was subjected to further tortures. He is considered by many politicians as the godfather of Egypt's new social democratic movements.

Writings

He has published several articles and books on the political state of affairs in Egypt, as well as a political novel: The Moon Lover. However, his book Egypt – Freedom of Expression between the Emergency Law and the Mubarak Regime is consider to be his most significant book.

This book presents a study of the effects of the "Emergency Law" which has been in force since the assassination of Anwar El Sadat in 1981. His particular focus is on the decree as it relates to freedom of press, the Egyptian Constitution and conflicts with international treaties which Egypt has signed. He concludes with his recommendations for a possible solution to these conflicts.

The book has been banned in Egypt.