A group of United Nations independent human rights experts today urged the Egyptian Shura Council not to adopt a draft law on civil society organisations, which, in its current form, does not comply with international human rights norms and standards relating to freedom of association. “It is highly regrettable that a government that was formed as a response to peaceful social activism can place such restrictions on people’s right to freedom of association,” said the UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, on human rights defenders, and on freedom of opinion and expression. “All actors should play a role in the conduct of public affairs.” The human rights experts regretted that valuable recommendations put forward by Egyptian civil society actors were not taken into account in the drafting of the text. “We are seriously concerned that numerous provisions contained in the draft law may be used to hamper the legitimate work of civil society organisations, particularly those advocating human rights,” they noted. The experts welcomed the Egyptian authorities’ initiative to revise law 84/2002 due to its lack of compliance with international standards; however, they warned that “the draft legislation currently being considered by the Shura Council has a... Continue reading →
A group of United Nations independent experts today expressed alarm at the degree of violence and deterioration of the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association which have led to loss of life in Egypt, ahead of parliamentary elections planned for 28 November 2011. “The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is an inherent element of democracies,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Mr. Maina Kiai, expressing deep concern at reports announcing the death of protesters in violence over the weekend. “The Egyptian authorities must stop using violence and engage immediately in a genuine national dialogue with all groups of society. An independent investigation should be immediately initiated into the cause of death and escalation of violence.” For the UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, Mr. Christof Heyns, “the use of lethal force is not an option when controlling demonstrations, dissent must be tolerated and not restrained with excessive force which can lead to loss of life. I strongly urge the security forces to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid the escalation of violence and take immediate measures to protect the right to life of the demonstrators.” “The right to freedom of expression is a cornerstone for... Continue reading →
