human rights in egypt 2020

Presidential elections were held in … Human Rights in Egypt 9 January 2020. Since April 2017, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has maintained a nation-wide state of emergency that gives security forces unchecked powers. Egypt arrests human rights group's staff in 'chilling escalation' Published 18 November 2020 Egypt sex attacks fuel 'feminist revolution' Published 26 October 2020 Egypt … A leading human rights group in Egypt says security forces have detained two members of its staff in recent days. The human rights activists, from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), were arrested “within days” of a meeting with 13 foreign ambassadors and diplomats on 3 November, according to the UN human rights office (). Egypt’s 2016 discriminatory church-building law has achieved little in removing obstacles and sectarian violence around building churches. THE LEVANT NEWS MEDIA INTERNATIONAL LTD © 2020-20212021. Security forces led by the military continue to brutalize civilians in North Sinai in its conflict with Sinai Province, an armed group affiliated with the extremist group Islamic State (ISIS). “Many pre-trial detention renewal hearings take place in the absence of defendants and lawyers. The amendments consolidate authoritarian rule, undermine the judiciary’s dwindling independence, and expand the military’s power to intervene in political life. In view of escalating violations in Egypt and its lack of constructive cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, the EU should step up its scrutiny in 2020 by systematically raising the … The army and pro-government militias carried out serious abuses, including demolishing homes and arbitrarily arresting, torturing, and extrajudicially executing residents. NGOs face fines up to one million Egyptian pounds (US$60,000) for sending or receiving funds without government approval or for operating without a license. Egypt continued to stall on a law that would tackle domestic violence. It is not fair to label the Egyptian state as an authoritarian regime because we are fighting extremism.”. Two female participants were sexually assaulted by registration officials in Sharm al-Sheikh, and others reported physical surveillance. However, the real obstacle which is preventing Egypt from making tangible progress on the civil and political rights agenda, is not the lack of will or lack of sincerity by the political leadership. Dec 7, 2020 French President Emmanuel Macron said his country will continue selling arms to Egypt despite calls to curb weapons sales in light of the Egyptian government’s poor human rights record. Human Rights in Egypt’s Relations with the World December 10, 2020 11:46 am For days before the visit of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to France, on the sixth of December, international media and observers geared up to press the French president Emmanuel Macron into discussing one main topic with the Egyptian president. According to these, criticism of the president can be punished by fines or imprisonment. Discriminatory laws continue to impede building and renovating non-Sunni Muslim houses of worship. In January, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized human rights abuses in a Cairo press conference after meeting al-Sisi. Terrorist attacks against Christians continued. However, the states at the council have failed to introduce a collective statement of concern despite the worsening crisis in Egypt since March 2014. “The policy of dialogue is better than the policy of boycott, which harms our ability to fight terrorism and our work for regional stability. Small groups of protesters gather in central Cairo shouting anti-government slogans in Cairo, Egypt September 21, 2019. His body was found, very badly tortured, nine days later. Rather, the pressing topic that preoccupied the Egyptian-French summit was the status of human rights in Egypt. Civilian and military courts sentenced hundreds of individuals to death in 2019, often in mass trials in cases that stem from alleged political violence or planned violence. The government recognizes only Islam, Christianity and Judaism as official religions. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and several UN experts have repeatedly condemned abuses in Egypt. The case, known as the “Hope Coalition” case, involves activists who were allegedly planning a new political coalition to contest the 2020 elections. EIPR is one of the few remaining human rights organisations in Egypt. The UN human rights experts also raised concern over the handling of the activists’ detention and trials, noting that such actions violate international human rights standards. Protecting Rights, Saving Lives Human Rights Watch defends the rights … Accepting the Danger of Human Rights Work in Egypt, With Food and Humor Before his recent arrest, Gasser Abdel-Razek had no illusions about the risks in being a leading rights … With a state of emergency and long curfew hours imposed uninterruptedly in Sinai since late 2014, restrictions on movement, also justified under the rhetoric of counterterrorism, led to severe shortages of food and other essential items for months during 2018. Despite several government promises to lift restrictions, the law merely removes prison penalties but maintains severe restrictions that make it impossible for NGOs to work freely and independently. Former President Mohamed Morsy, whom the army forcibly removed in 2013, died on June 17 in a Cairo court room following six years of lack of medical care and near-absolute isolation in prison. The Press Law, Publications Law, and the penal code regulate and govern the press. In January, a TV anchor was sentenced to one year in prison for interviewing a gay man on television. Egyptian authorities are accused of detaining more … Freedom House deems Egypt to have an unfree press, although mentions they have a diversity of sources. The new NGO Law, which parliament passed in July and al-Sisi approved in August, prohibits NGOs from conducting field research, surveys, or opinion polls without government approval. Military and civilian courts of appeal upheld at least 32 death sentences, raising the number on death row to 74, the majority of whom were charged with political violence. Egypt suffers from chronic deficiencies on this issue, mostly inherited from the long era of corruption and tyranny under Mubarak. Human rights advocates tell European Union to stop giving Egypt a pass on its rampant ongoing abuses. Human rights activists may prefer the first approach, attributing the latest release of three EIPR NGO activists in Egypt to their global international campaign. Egypt: Human rights activist arrested outside Public Prosecutor’s office 23 June 2020, 17:06 UTC Egyptian security forces today whisked away human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience Sanaa Seif from outside the Public Prosecutor’s office in New Cairo, where she was waiting to file a complaint after suffering a violent assault. In August, President al-Sisi approved a new law that maintains most of the drastic restrictions imposed on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Egypt adopts integrated human rights concept, including right to health, security, education, and social care, said former foreign minister Mohamed El … Egypt continued to repress lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, in recent years prosecuting dozens of people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Organizations refusing to provide information about their activities can expect fines of half-a-million Egyptian pounds (US$30,000). The amendments also give the president the power to appoint the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, the head and members of the Commissioners’ Authority, and Egypt’s public prosecutor, among other positions. President al-Sisi continued to warn against anti-government protests and gatherings. In response to the same question, President El-Sisi noted that “the Egyptian state has been fighting an extremist Islamic organization that has been wreaking havoc in Egypt for over 90 years (in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood). This council will supervise and be able to intervene in the judiciary’s affairs, including appointments and promotions. Reporters Without Borders2006 report indicates continued harassment and, in three cases, imprisonment, of journalists. “EIPR are the ones in the know, they are the only people taking testimonies and conducting proper research into abuses of human rights, whether of minorities or in the criminal justice system.” Under the guise of fighting terrorism, Egyptian authorities showed utter disregard for the rule of law. Undoubtedly, this pragmatic response by President Macron frustrated a number of those who rely on stirring up the human rights issue whenever they desire to exert a political pressure on Egypt. Despite the ruling, authorities continued to impose travel bans and asset freezes of at least 31 leading Egyptian human rights activists in the protracted investigations in Case 173 of 2011, known as the “foreign funding” case. Torture practices have also affected well-known activists such as Alaa Abdel Fattah and Israa Abdel Fattah. In November, two United Nations experts said that such conditions “may have directly led” to his death and “may be placing the health and lives of thousands more prisoners at severe risk.” Authorities did not conduct any independent investigation into his death. They place Egypt 143rd out of 167 nations on press freedoms. Egypt was on this list 5 times in the last 15 years and was removed only briefly in 2018. For the foreseeable future, human rights issues shall remain a daunting issue in Egypt’s relations with the world. Constitutional amendments approved in an unfair referendum in April 2019 extended al-Sisi’s current term from four to six years, allow him to run for one additional term, and name him the head of the Supreme Council for Judicial Bodies and Authorities. Oct 10, 2020 CAIRO — Rights groups are alarmed about the execution of political detainees in Egypt.On Oct. 14, We Record, a human rights organization focusing on the prisoners and criminal justice, revealed that death sentences had been carried out against 15 people convicted in two cases of terrorism and violent crimes. Daily News Egypt December 18, 2020 Comments Off European Parliament (EU parliament) voted on a draft resolution criticising the “human rights conditions” in Egypt on Friday. CAIRO – 22 December 2020: Egypt is committed to the protection and enhancement of human rights, where human rights are at the heart of the state’s development strategy, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Tuesday. Shoukry made his statement during a meeting with the Technical Secretariat of the Permanent Supreme Committee of Human Rights. The Egyptian state does not deny this fact and has been sincerely working, for five years, to improve human rights conditions, amidst countless political and security challenges. The parliament described the European Parliament’s decision as "politicized and unbalanced". As Karim Ennarah, the head of the criminal justice unit in one of Egypt’s leading human rights groups, spent his 37 th birthday on Monday behind bars, calls for his release, along with his detained colleagues, have intensified and gained momentum from sympathizers worldwide. Fix, as a first urgent and proper step, towards improving human Watch. Constitutional amendments that were approved in an unfair referendum in April Commissioner for human rights organisations in Egypt organizations to... A Cairo press conference after meeting al-Sisi years, Karim has supported Many journalists who to... 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