CAIRO: Minister of Interior Mansour Al-Essawy said Wednesday that the ministry is committed to its decision to ban the presence of police on university campuses. Al-Essawy said at a meeting with university professors from the March 9 Movement for the Independence of Universities that the ministry will follow through in line with the judicial ruling on the matter as well as with its new policy. "We believe in the importance of the independence of universities to restore their efficiency and their cultural and developmental role," Al-Essawy said. Earlier last month, university guards affiliated with the Ministry of Interior were replaced by civilian security personnel. A recent report issued by the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) on academic freedoms during the academic year 2009/2010 said that 85 students were arrested by security and their detention period varied between four to 15 days. Arrest orders were issued against some students who were kept in custody for up to three months. Laila Souief, member of the March 9 Movement, previously told Daily News Egypt that they have been trying to cancel regulations that allow interference of security in academic life. "They interfered in everything starting from inviting visitors and holding conferences to promotions, appointments and scholarships," she added. "Academic life in Egyptian universities has been suffering from security interference since 1981," said Fatma Serag, a legal activist from AFTE. The report said that police banned a number of professors from inviting guests on campus, interfered in scholarships and professors' participation in conferences abroad and manipulated student union elections. Police also interfered in the selection of deans of faculties, the report said.
