Violations by
Security Agents Threaten Violence
against Copts in Beni Soueif Village
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) cautioned today about
the possible outbreak of sectarian violence in the village of Deshasha,
located in the district of Sumusta in the Governorate of Beni Soueif, after
police used violence on Sunday, 17 August, to prevent village Copts from
repairing the only church in the village. The EIPR called for Copts in the
village to be protected from possible violence by their Muslim neighbors and
for an investigation into violations by the security apparatus of the laws
on church renovations.
Punishing Saad
El Din Ibrahim, A New Ring in the Chain of Opinion Trials
The Egyptian
human rights organizations express their deep concern over the ruling
rendered recently by “Al Khalifa Misdemeanor Court” –in absentia-
against Dr. Saad El Din Ibrahim, an outstanding defender of human rights
and democratic freedoms, professor of sociology, and Director of Ibn
Khaldun Center for Developmental Studies. The Court punished Ibrahim
with two-year imprisonment sentence with labor and an 10 thousand LE
fine to suspend the sentence enforcement. He was condemned of outraging
Egypt’s reputation and prestige and of harming national interests. The
“whereases” of the ruling were based on a report prepared by the
Egyptian Foreign Ministry, which referred to his articles regarding the
domestic situation in Egypt, published in several prominent American and
international newspapers. Those writings requested the American
Administration to link the US AID programs granted to the Egyptian
government with progress achieved on the track of democratic reform.
Abu Fana:
Reconciliation is No Substitute for Justice
Reconciliation
efforts following the armed assault on the Abu Fana Coptic monastery in
Minya last May must not lead to impunity for the perpetrators of serious
abuses, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) warned today.
The EIPR stressed
that the official response to the crisis should not be confined to the
settlement being negotiated currently with government mediation between
representatives of the Coptic Church and the Bedouin residents of the
village adjacent to the monastery.
21 Rights Groups
Condemn Government Decision to Bar Egyptian NGO from UN Meeting
Nineteen Egyptian human rights organizations today condemned the
government decision to bar the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
(EIPR) from participating in the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting
(HLM) on HIV and AIDS, to be held in New York on 10-11 June.
"The government's attempt to prevent an Egyptian rights organization from
participating in an international meeting is a disturbing escalation of the
atmosphere of harassment and restrictions targeting independent human rights
organizations," the groups said.
On Coptic Personal Status Laws:
State is Responsible for Protecting Right to Marry and Found a Family
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) today called
on the state to assume its legal responsibility to protect and fulfill the
right of all citizens to marry and found a family, a right enshrined in the
Egyptian constitution and international human rights law. Commenting on the
ongoing debate over proposed amendments to Coptic Orthodox personal status
regulations, the EIPR said that state officials must immediately create
alternatives that guarantee citizens their right to make decisions
concerning their private and family life, regardless of their religion or
the stance of religious institutions.
First Quarterly Report on Freedom of Religion and Belief in Egypt
January -
March 2008
The Egyptian Initiative for
Personal Rights (EIPR) today issued the English version of its first
quarterly report on freedom of religion and belief in Egypt. The report
covers the first three months of 2008 and documents new court rulings,
legislation and government policies relevant to freedom of religion and
belief, as well as instances of religious discrimination and other
violations of religious freedom. It also reports on incidents of sectarian
tension and violence and reviews the most pertinent reports, publications,
and activities during the reporting period
Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Freedom
This joint report by the
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and Human Rights Watch documents how
Ministry of Interior officials systematically prevent Baha’is and converts
from Islam from registering their actual religious belief in national
identity documents, birth certificates, and other essential papers.
