The Urgent Affairs Court rejected the appeal against the State Council's decision to annul the Egyptian-Saudi maritime border agreement on Tiran and Sanafir islands in its final ruling session on Saturday. The decision annulled the validity of the agreement. This came just two days following the cabinet's approval of the agreement, after which it was sent to parliament for final approval. Lawyer Malek Adly said that the cabinet's decision is a violation given that the sovereignty of the islands is still being disputed in court. There is another lawsuit regarding the validity of the agreement in the Administrative Court between the government and opposition lawyers, including Adly and Khaled Ali. This lawsuit's final verdict will be issued on 16 January. It's expected that this final ruling might not fall in a way that suits the opposition's interest, Adly said. Previously, lawyers opposing the government pointed out that the Urgent Affairs Court is not authorised to look into the case, arguing that lawsuits involving the government fall under the administrative judiciary's authority. The case, known as the "Red Sea islands" case, has been the source of public controversy since April, after the Egyptian presidency announced the islands would return to the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia.
