|
|
| Press |
  |
27/2/2000
Extension of the state of emergency for the tenth time
Restrictions on political activities by the authorities' enforced monopoly in blatant disregard for the principles of human rights... The Association for Human Rights Legal Aid (AHRLA) expresses its deep anger and regret concerning the Egyptian parliament's decision, in its session on February 26th 2000, to extend the state of emergency for the coming three years, starting from the first of June 2000 until May 31 2003. This represents the tenth successive time since 1981 that the situation has been extended without interruption. The state of emergency gives the government a green light to restrict personal freedoms, including freedoms of movement, assembly, free expression, publication and research and represents a general violation of citizen's privacy rights. It also allows for the arrest of suspects who are considered to be 'a threat to security and order' without concrete evidence. This has led to the disheartening and frustration of thousands of citizens taken prisoner for long periods of time who have given up all hope of release. Another license given the authorities in times of 'emergency' is the legitimization of inspections carried out on civilians without abiding by the safeguards provided in the criminal procedures law. The right to fair trial is compromised, and an exceptional judiciary functions in place of the normal one in high state security trials. Also to be considered are the increased authorities given the president of the republic and his ability to transfer cases to military courts, a procedure which has been used frequently in the past, as in the case of many members of the Moslem Brotherhood who were charged with establishing the Alwasat party. Another example is the transfer to a military court of twenty syndicate members who expressed a wish to participate in the professional syndicate elections. In addition to all of the above is the autocratic nature of implementation of the state of emergency, which does not come under any form of judicial or political supervision, as a result of the National Democratic Party (headed by the President of the Republic), being in control of parliament. AHRLA wishes to underline that this decision exposes the falsity of declarations by the authorities that a new era of democracy has started and comes at a time when new candidates will be applying to many of the professional syndicates and when the elections for the eighth legislative term of the year 2000 are upcoming. This all leads to a serious threat to the future of democracy in the near future, especially notable in the acts of requisition and denial of the basic rights of civil society organizations, such as the parties, syndicates, and worker and student associations. AHRLA is astonished by this decision in light of the much reduced activity of armed terrorist groups in recent times and the prevailing atmosphere of stability to which the Egyptian government is continually referring, even in the most troubled period of the 'Luxor massacre'. This relative calm has been behind the country's hosting a number of international conferences such as the "Population and Development Conference" held in 1994 and the recent celebrations on the occasion of the new millennium. The security authorities are surely capable of performing their duties without the need for this prolonged state of emergency, which was no help anyway during the tens of murders and violent acts committed by armed terrorist groups in the eighties and nineties. The state of emergency should be resorted to only as an exceptional and temporary measure taken by the authorities to protect order and general security in times of unexpected circumstances, such as the outbreak of war - or the threat of it - sudden disasters, spread of epidemics etc., all of which are obviously not applicable to Egypt today. AHRLA appeals to the President of the Republic to use his legal and constitutional authorities to cancel the emergency law and revise all other laws that restrict the free expression of opinion and peaceful assembly, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. AHRLA sees an urgent need for the strengthening of civil society in the face of all the existing legal restrictions, principal among which is the emergency law. The association therefore appeals to all civil society organizations and institutions to join in its efforts in canceling all laws that restrict citizens' basic freedoms. State of Emergency declarations: No Related laws the period warrant 1 Law 15 of the year 1923 (from September 1939 to 4 October 1945) Second world war 2 Same law (from 14 may 1948 to 29 April 1950) Palestine war 3 Same law (from 26 January 1952 to 2 June 1956) Cairo fire 4 Law 533 of the year 1954 (from 1 November 1956 to 24 March 1964) Tripartite aggression 5 Law 162 of the 1958 (from 15 June 1967 to 15 May 1980) Aggression of June 1967 6 Same law (from 6 October until present date) Aggression of President Sadat |