Amnesty International warned against growing harassment in Egypt's civil society organizations. It said one of the oldest human rights organizations in the country risks being dissolved, while the Egyptian authorities are preparing new amendments imposing further restrictions - according to the organization – on the activities of non-governmental organizations.
Amnesty International said that the warning was a comment to the Minister of Social Solidarity's letter to the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) on April 14. The letter told the EOHR would face legal accountability by virtue of Article 42 of the Law on Associations and NGOs No. 84 of 2002. Such accountability could lead to the EOHR being dissolved or shut down. According to Amnesty International, the ministry alleged in its letter that the EOHR had violated Article 17 of the Associations Law by receiving foreign funding without the Ministry's approval. The international organization published yesterday a statement saying that the imposition of further restrictions on civil society looms on the horizon in Egypt. Inside this statement, the organization says it sent a letter to the Minister of Social Solidarity expressing concern that the action taken against the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights might be linked to the EOHR's long efforts to harmonize the Law on Associations with the international law and standards, as well as its project to set up a network to defend the right to get and circulate information.
Amnesty International urges the Egyptian authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure that the EOHR can carry out its legitimate activities to protect human rights with no fear, harassment or interference.
Amnesty International adds that the EOHR is the latest victim of the oppressive Egyptian Law on Associations, which imposes strict restrictions on NGOs, including the impossibility to accept foreign funding without the ministry's approval. The statement also reminds of what happened to the Legal Aid Society for Human Rights in 2007. This society won the case against the decree dissolving it in 2008 after it lost its offices, but it is now struggling to get back its properties from the authorities.
Amnesty International points out that the Egyptian authorities have done nothing to implement the Human Rights Committee's recommendations to promote freedom of association. It goes on to say that NGOs are still living under the threat of being dissolved or shut down by administrative orders, and that the planned amendments to the law include more restrictions and administrative obstacles, seemingly for security reasons.
