An Egyptian court has upheld an asset freeze against five human rights defenders and three NGOs. They may now face trial on spurious charges that include accepting funding illegally, operating unlicensed groups and damaging the country’s “national security.”
The decision by the Zeinhom Criminal Court names investigative journalist Hossam Bahgat; Arabic Network for Human Rights Information director Gamal Eid; Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies director Bahey el-Din Hassan; Hisham Mubarak Law Center director Mostafa al-Hassan; and Egyptian Center for the Right to Education director Abdel Hafez Tayel. The court also froze the assets of three groups, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Egyptian Center for the Right to Education, but rejected orders freezing the assets of other NGO staff and the family members of some of the accused.
Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:
- Calling on Egypt’s authorities to ensure the asset freeze imposed on human rights defenders and organizations is immediately lifted;
- Urging them to end the harassment of human rights defenders, including the use of travel bans, asset freezes and closure orders, as well as to close spurious and politically motivated investigations;
- Calling on them to ensure that any new NGO law complies with Egypt’s constitution, as well as international law and standards on the right to freedom of association.
Fax: 202 244 4319 -OR- 202 244 5131 I Phone: 202 895 5400 I Email: embassy@egyptembdc.org
Salutation: Dear Ambassador
Minister of Social SolidarityGhada Waly
Ministry of Social Solidarity
19 Maraghi Street, Agouza
Giza, Arab Republic of Egypt
Fax: +202 3337 5420 / +202 3337 5404Salutation: Your Excellency
Ministry of Social Solidarity
19 Maraghi Street, Agouza
Giza, Arab Republic of Egypt
Fax: +202 3337 5420 / +202 3337 5404Salutation: Your Excellency
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