“Abu Halawa” is an Egyptian citizen. He is 26 years old. He graduated from college and did not find work in his village: El Horeyah. And so he devoted himself to educating the boys and girls who dropped out from school. He also tried to help farmers get alternative lands and to improve the conditions of public services in the faraway village of ” El Horeyah”, which is located in the province of Dekrines, Dakahlia Governorate.
At the beginning of 2007 a number of farmers agreed on establishing an association for the development of the village’s local community. Abu Halawa was elected as the chairman of the board. The members of the association prepared the necessary papers and were able, through a long battle with procedures, employees, security sectors and Social Solidarity, to obtain a license for the association: No. 1496 of 2007. During the months of the year, the Medical Clinic, literacy classes, and a workshop for girls, started operating. The association also held competitions and cultural seminars, and the light of development started to shine on the poor village of El Horeyah, especially after all the support given to the association by the residents of the village.
But an invisible hand wanted to kill the dream without justification. Two weeks ago a decision was issued by the Social Security Unit stipulating the exclusion of Abu Halawa from the board of directors.
The removal of Abu Halawa from his position is illegal, Since law 84 that organizes the work of associations ensures that no changes are made to the first board of directors for several years. Therefore the decision of Security to remove Abu Halawa from his position would not be legal, except if Abu Halawa agreed to resign from the association with his own free will. Thus security pursuits and harassments began, to force Abu Halawa to resign voluntarily. And after for four days of humiliation and abuse at the headquarters of the State security in Dekrines, they were able to obtain a signed resignation from Abu Halawa, and in order to deny him any opportunity to appeal those decisions, or to take any legal action against those who had issued the administrative decision, they issued the decision of resignation and the formation of the new board of directors on a former date: 21/10/2007.
The LCHR will appeal the administration’s decision to exclude Abu Halawa from the board of directors of El Horeyah Association.
The LCHR presents its complaints to the Minister of Social Solidarity demanding that the decision of the Social Affairs Unit in Dekrines, regarding changing the Board Chairman of El Horeyah Association, be canceled, in addition to canceling all the procedures that were made based on this decision, and to return the old board of directors. The LCHR also demands the Minister of Social Solidarity to intervene to protect associations from the custodianship of the State Security, and to find practical ways to stop the security interventions in the work and activities of NGOs.
*For more information please contact Land Center for Human Rights
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