Egypt's Human Rights Organization's report
Egypt, Politics, 6/30/2003

At a time when the Arab stares are witnessing international debates on the status of human rights in the region and discussing the need to implement human rights reforms and ensure civil liberties, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) announced the publication of its 13th annual report on human rights in Egypt on 23 June.

The report comes at a crucial time, just a few days after the approval of the law establishing a National Human Rights Council and the proclamation of EOHR as a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) under the new civil associations' law.

The report's aim is to create domestic and international awareness on human rights in Egypt. We hope that in the future it will assist the National Human Rights Council and the Government in protecting human rights," sources told the Egyptian Gazette.

At a press conference, EOHR Secretary General Hafez Abu Saeda said this report, provides information on cases defended by EOHR, as well as recording the human rights situation.

"It surveyed a wide range of violations in 2002 and is based on information received from lawyers at EOHR's Fieldwork Unit," he said. "EOHR is unable to monitor all violations, however, it has done is its best to monitor them as r- exhaustively as possible. The numbers do not reflect in the real figure, but affirm g their existence."

The report is divided into three parts. The first 'The Legal Framework',evaluates improvements in legislation, judicial verdicts and procedures in 2002.

The second section, 'Violations of Human Rights in 2002', outlines prominent human rights violations.

The third summarizes EOHR's activities a in 2002. EOHR strongly criticizes the new civil associations' law (84/2002) saying it" enshrined legal restrictions on NGOs operating in Egypt."

EOHR however, praised some rulings of the Supreme Constitutional Court and the Administrative Court.

In 2002, the State Council and administrative judiciary issued 70 rulings related to human rights cases.

The most significant was that involving coercive disappearance. On 26 November 2002, the administrative judiciary ordered the Ministry of the is Interior to pay LE100 000 to the family of a detainee, who disappeared while in detention in 1989.

The court held that the Ministry had attempted to conceal and suppress information on the where abouts of the detainee, and that these acts constituted a coercive disappearance.

It stated that this was a blatant violation of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Egyptian, constitution and held that the Ministry had breached its obligation to provide information on the well being of the victim to his family.

The violations of human rights section is divided s into 10 parts covering different categories of human rights. These include the right to life, the right to work abroad, the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression and opinion.

On the first, EHOR monitored ten cases of deaths in custody at police stations and detention centers.

"EOHR suspects they died as a result of torture; in some, this was confirmed by judicial rulings," the report said. It also, referred to violations of the right to life through crimes of vengeance.

"In 2002, 22 people were killed in the Beit Alam massacre in the, governorate of Sohag in Upper Egypt." It said adding that State in Capacity to spread awareness had contributed to continuance of this type of crime.

On working abroad, EOHR expressed dissatisfaction that few complaints to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and a embassies on maltreatment of citizens working in foreign countries, were answered.

On the right to peaceful assembly, the report said that EOHR has monitored cases of demonstrations which were met with excessive use of state force. "This was the case in the student demonstrations in 2002 in support of Palestine," it said.

On freedom of expression and opinion,the report wrote: "EOHR observed increasing cases involving non-governmental activists related to libel and slander." It also noted assaults on journalists while covering certain activities and the banning of some issues of magazines.

EOHR which has constantly stressed the need to defend human rights and civil liberties in Egypt, is the oldest and first human rights NGO in the country. Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants, it has been defending cases of human rights violations whether governmental or other, regardless of race, religion, sex or political inclinations. EOHR's aim like that of other NGOs is not to attack the State but to increase awareness of violations so that it can take action to stop them.

International and regional human rights covenants have put the burden on states to protect the rights of individuals. However, their increasing importance, especially the belief that there cannot be comprehensive development without human rights and civil liberties, needs the participation of the different sectors of societies to promote them. NGOs' roles with their grass roots in societies, have accordingly been highlighted.

NGOs' activities will be increasing awareness amongst the public and the State, besides Government projects to consolidate human rights, work hand in hand in achieving a better life for Egyptian citizens whose rights are respected and protected.

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