Delivered by Hossam Bahgat
Madam Chair, distinguished members
Tags: Hossam Bahgat
*Update on 29 November 2021
Hossam Bahgat, director of EIPR, sentenced to a fine of 10,000 pounds for “insulting the elections authority”
(Beirut) – Egyptian authorities should cease the harassment and persecution of prominent human rights defender and journalist, Hossam Bahgat, who faces abusive charges intended to punish
Today, the Third Circuit for Misdemeanors of the Cairo Economic Court heard defense arguments in the case against Hossam Bahgat, Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, on charges of “insulting the Elections Authority,”
Trial of Hossam Bahgat, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) is set to resume tomorrow, Tuesday, 2 November, before the Cairo Economic Court.
A Cairo court is scheduled to begin the trial of Hossam Bahgat, Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), on Tuesday, 7 September, for “insulting the National Elections Authority (NEA)”.
Today, an EIPR representative submitted a letter to Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Nevine Al-Kabbaj, after the cabinet announced its approval of the executive by-laws for the new NGO law at the end its meeting last week. According to the law, the by-laws were supposed to be issued before mid-February 2020. Hereafter are some of the main issues and points raised in this letter:
These developments all point to a deliberate attempt by authorities to escalate the crackdown on EIPR by targeting the organization itself in violation of the law, both substantively and procedurally. During the session itself, EIPR’s lawyers were not even allowed to view the content of the order nor were they able to confirm the names included in the asset freeze. They were also not allowed to meet with the defendants in private and consult with them, as has been the case since they were detained.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights affirmed today that it intended to continue defending rights and liberties and fighting to change public policies and security practices inimical to economic, social, civil, and political human rights, despite the continued state assault on all forms of civil association and initiative in Egypt over the last three years.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights believes that these measures amount to a government assault not only on civil society organizations working in defense of human rights but on all democratic, voluntary forums and activity in society.
