In Egypt there are independent civil society groups that may be forced to close down, further limiting the space for participation of civil society and human rights activism in the country. This was stated by Amnesty International today, as the deadline for registering non-governmental organizations established under the repressive 2019 law on NGOs expired.
On April 5, 2023, Nevin al-Kabah, Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, stated that NGOs that had not registered under the 2019 NGO law by April 12, 2023 were at risk of be dissolved. The minister’s statement ignored growing calls from both local and international NGOs, as well as UN experts, for the law to be repealed or amended to ensure it complies with international standards on the right to freedom of association. Nevin Al Kabah also noted that no further extensions would be granted.
“For years, the Egyptian authorities have stifled independent civil society and subjected human rights defenders to a range of attacks, including arbitrary arrests, politically motivated prosecutions, travel bans, asset freezes, unlawful surveillance and other forms of harassment”, said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Director of Research and Advocacy for the Middle East and North Africa.
“While the long-awaited ‘National Dialogue’ with the opposition is scheduled to begin on May 3, the authorities must immediately withdraw their threat to dissolve unregistered NGOs. Instead, the authorities must work with NGOs to establish a legal framework that allows these organizations to carry out their vital work without fear of reprisals, and must honor Egypt’s international obligation to respect the right to freedom of association.”
The 2019 law on NGOs gives authorities excessively broad powers to oversee the registration, activities, funding and dissolution of NGOs. Furthermore, it restricts the activities of NGOs by limiting their work to “social development”, a vaguely defined concept that could be used to effectively prohibit human rights work. It also prohibits NGOs from carrying out investigations and publishing their findings without prior authorization from the government. The Arab Network for Human Rights Information, one of the oldest human rights organizations in Egypt, suspended its operations in January 2022, after 18 years, citing the repressive environment and inability to carry out its human rights work with the draconian law.
Unfair Prosecutions and Harassment
Over the past nine years, the Egyptian authorities have intensified their unfair prosecutions and unlawful arrests of NGO staff to hinder their human rights work. In the decade-long criminal investigation into the legitimate work of civil society organizations in Case 173/2011, known as the “foreign funding” case, at least 15 NGO workers remain under investigation , among them Mohamed Zaree, Director of the Egypt Program of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Aida Seif al-Dawla, Magda Adly and Suzan Fayad, of the El Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture, Hossam Bahgat, Director of the Initiative Egyptian Network for Personal Rights, and Gamal Eid, director of the now closed Arab Network for Human Rights Information. All of them continue to have a travel ban, and their assets have been frozen.
Several NGO staff members also remain unjustly imprisoned for their legitimate human rights work. Mohamed Baker, founder and director of the Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms, has been arbitrarily detained since 29 September 2019. In November 2021, he was sentenced to four years in prison after a grossly unfair trial before an emergency court for “spreading false news” charges. The charges relate to reports by the Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms on conditions of detention and the use of the death penalty in Egypt.
On March 5, 2023, an emergency court found Ezzat Ghoniem, founder of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms human rights group, and 29 others guilty on absurd charges stemming from their human rights work or peaceful dissent and , after an unfair trial, sentenced them to prison terms ranging from five years to life.
“The international community must call on the Egyptian authorities to end their crackdown on independent NGOs. Authorities must urgently release human rights defenders wrongfully languishing in prison, quash all wrongful convictions, withdraw Case 173 once and for all, and lift travel bans and freezes of assets imposed on NGO staff. To address Egypt’s economic problems and promote human rights, a vibrant civil society is essential,” said Philip Luther.
Additional information
On April 5, 2023, Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity announced that 35,653 NGOs had registered under the 2019 law on NGOs. Previously, the authorities had stated that there were 52,500 civil society groups in the country.
The most prominent human rights NGOs in Egypt, including those that provide free legal assistance to victims of human rights violations, operate as non-profit companies or law firms and are at risk of being dissolved for failing to register under the law of 2019 on NGOs. Those that have registered under the law have consistently reported that the authorities have delayed or denied approval of their funding and projects.