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Paris-Geneva, 27th June 2003
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in the framework of
their joint program the Observatory for the Protection of Human
Rights Defenders, welcome the legal recognition granted to the
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR).
On June 24, 2003, EOHR, member of the OMCT network and affiliated
to FIDH and a long term and appreciated partner of both organisations,
was finally granted a registration number by the Ministry of
Social Affairs and became a legally registered NGO (registration
5220) according to the NGOs Law (84/2002). The Egyptian Organization
for Human Rights was registered in 1985 as a branch of the Arab
Organization for Human Rights, and presented a request in 1987
for registration under Law 32 of 1964. The Ministry refused
the request at that time, and EOHR’s appeal to the administrative
judiciary upheld the decision.
In 1992, EOHR appealed before the Supreme Administrative Court,
and subsequent hearings continued until 2000. During this period,
the government enacted new legislation (NGO Law 135/1999), and
EOHR applied for registration under this new law. However, the
administrative body postponed consideration of the application
as a result of a request from security authorities. EOHR challenged
the decision before the administrative judiciary which, on July
1, 2001, ordered the Ministry of Social Affairs to register
EOHR, an order with which the Ministry refused to comply. After
the current NGOs Law (84/2002) was enacted, EOHR once again
applied for registration. Largely as a result of the July 2001
decision, the Ministry of Social Affairs approved the application
for registration on June 24, 2003.
This decision intervenes in a context in which a large group
of Egyptian organizations have come together to denounce government’s
policies towards human rights activists and what has been described
by many observers as a security directed orientation. This mobilisation
was prompted by the denial of registration of two organizations
upon the request of Security authorities, the New Woman Research
Center and the Land Center for Human Rights based on law 84
of June 2002 related to Non-Governmental Organizations and its
executive regulations.
The Observatory has referred the matter to Mrs. Hina Jilani,
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human
Rights Defenders, who already reported on the issues raised
by the present law related to Non-Governmental Organizations
during the last session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
The Observatory calls on the Egyptian authorities to amend the
current legislation so as to conform with international human
rights instruments ratified by Egypt as well as with the provisions
of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the
UN General Assembly in 1998.
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