The following is a 19 January 2000 EOHR press release: Cairo 19/1/2000 A NEW ATTACK AGAINST CIVIL SOCIETY Governor of Cairo issues a decree to close the EOHR newsletter (Hukouk Al-Insan) Press release In a sudden development, the EOHR has learned today, January 19, 2000 through notification no. 1484 / year 1999, issued by Misr […]
The following is a 19 January 2000 EOHR press release:
Cairo 19/1/2000
A NEW ATTACK AGAINST CIVIL SOCIETY
Governor of Cairo issues a decree to close the EOHR newsletter (Hukouk Al-Insan)
Press release
In a sudden development, the EOHR has learned today, January 19, 2000 through notification no. 1484 / year 1999, issued by Misr Al-Kadima police station, that the Governor of Cairo had issued the administrative decree no. 592 on September 20, 1999 to close 14 newspapers and newsletters, including that of the EOHR (Hukouk Al-Insan) “Human Rights”. The decree is said to be based on instructions from the former Council of Governors, that was headed by former Prime Minister Dr. Kamal Al-Ganzouri, back in August 1999.
It is worth noting that (Hukouk Al-Insan) is a newsletter published by the EOHR since 1986. It is circulated among the members of the organization and 38 issues have been published so far. The aim of the newsletter is basically to notify the EOHR members of the activities of the organization, raise their awareness of human rights issues, and get them in touch with the latest human rights developments locally, regionally, and internationally.
The EOHR considers this decree as a new attack against civil society, and a direct violation of the freedom of opinion and expression. The EOHR notes that the decree contained some direct political labeling for some of the newspapers and newsletters (e.g. Nasserist, Wafdist, and Communist). The EOHR is quite astonished that such descriptions are used by an official administrative authority! (See the enclosed table of the banned publications).
As EOHR condemns such procedures, it reemphasizes that the Egyptian civil society is still under continuous suppression. It views such decrees to be actually complementary to the restrictions imposed by the new law for NGOs, no. 153 for the year 1999.
Hence, the EOHR urges the Egyptian authorities to stop launching such legal and administrative assaults against civil society institutions. It calls for implementing the provisions of the Egyptian constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as regards the right to establish associations and freedom of opinion and expression.
Names of the Newspapers and Newsletters Included in the Administrative Decree no. 592
NAME OF PUBLICATION / PUBLISHED BY
1 Akhbar Al-Giza / Mohamed Abdel-Gawad
2 Sout Youliou / The Nasserist, Mohamed Al-Durainy
3 Hushood / The Nasserist, Mohamed Al-Durainy
4 23 July / The Nasserist, Mohamed Al-Durainy
5 Al-Rashrash / The Nasserist, Mohamed Al-Durainy
6 Al-Nidaa / Esam Salman
7 Al-Mugtamaa Al-Madani (Civil Society) / Saad Eddin Ibrahim
8 Al-Sayedat / The Communist, Shokry Ayyad
9 Akhbar Al-Darayeb / Mohamed El-Sayed
10 Al-Nahar / The Wafdist, Saber El-Banna
11 Al-Beiaa / Yasser Ramadan (Al-Ahrar)
12 Oyoun Misr / Mohamed Al-Deeb
13 Al-Madina Al-Hurra / Al-Ahrar Print, Fayez Quabadaya
14 Hukouk Al-Insan / EOHR
