Egypt got a "red mark" in a report issued by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN). Red means there is no freedom to establish NGOs in Egypt. The report tests countries in eight categories and gives estimates by using colors; green means that a state respects the freedom of establishing NGOs; orange means that freedoms are limited or restricted; and red means that people are totally deprived. Egypt got a red mark in seven of the eight categories.
The report welcomes a Supreme Administrative Court's recent ruling allowing the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid (AHRLA) to continue its activities. However, it expressed concerns over violations of the freedom of establishing NGOs in 2008. The report adds that management practices have put more pressures on NGOs and actually violated the law. It urged the Egyptian government to prove that its laws relating to the freedom of establishing NGOs are in conformity with its commitments towards international human rights. In a related context, the National Council for Human Rights, in cooperation with the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, will hold a roundtable tomorrow to discuss proposals for overcoming obstacles facing NGOs in Egypt. The roundtable will be headed by Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, President of the Council, and Dr. Ali el-Moselhi, Minister of Social Solidarity.
