The Cairo Institute for Human Right Studies expresses its appreciation for all national and international parties that showed solidarity with Egyptian civil society in its current difficulties, which are not yet over. We would especially like to thank the 18 members of the constituent assembly that wrote the 2014 constitution, the National Council for Human Rights, the leaders of several political parties, a number of writers and journalists, dozens of African, Asian, Latin American, European, American, and Arab rights organizations, and the many international officials that raised the issue with the Egyptian government.
The CIHRS appreciates the minister of social solidarity’s decision to extend the deadline for the implementation of the ministry’s warning to shut down a huge number of developmental, academic, cultural, and rights organizations, as well as law offices, to November 10, 2014. We note, however, that the decision only postpones the catastrophe and does not genuinely seek to avoid its detrimental national and international impact. The CIHRS thus sincerely urges the minister to take the initiative to start a productive conversation with civil society organizations that begins where the dialogue with former minister Dr. Ahmed al-Borai left off. We similarly call on her to suspend, rather than simply postpone, the warning, with the goal of submitting a bill on civic associations to the incoming elected parliament that is consistent with the new constitution and fulfills Egypt’s international obligations, especially those obligations on which it will be examined next month before the UN, in the framework of the Universal Periodic Review of Egypt’s respect for human rights.
We take this opportunity to publish the full text of the memorandum sent to President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi by the CIHRS on August 26, 2014.
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