Amnesty International has warned of increased restrictions on the activities of civil society organizations in Egypt as the authorities prepare to draw up a new law the organization believes will add to the woes of NGOs.
"All non-governmental organizations could face closure and possible prosecution," Amnesty International said in a report on Sunday, citing the Egyptian authorities' requirement that NGOs should register with the government by 2 September in order to be allowed to operate legally.
The looming deadline sounds very much like a death sentence for independent Egyptian NGOs. The authorities’ ultimatum is not about enabling NGOs to operate and instead paves the way for the closure of those that are critical of the government,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. The Egyptian authorities must immediately withdraw the requirement for compulsory registration, which is contrary to international human rights standards."
Amnesty said the current law of 84/2002 on associations obliges NGOs to obtain permission from the Ministry of Social Solidarity before registration. "This requirement is inconsistent with Egypt’s international obligation to respect the right to freedom of association. It also contravenes the Egyptian constitution which guarantees the right of everyone to form associations by mere notification rather than permission."
It revealed that the government had earlier turned down or ignored requests for registration b NGOs, leaving the groups in "a legal limbo where they could be shut down at any time", as the statement put it.
As a result, many NGOs have been operating as law firms or non-profit companies.
A planned law would see the creation of an official “Co-ordinating Committee” that would have the power to veto registration, funding and activities of foreign organizations in Egypt and of any foreign funding of Egyptian organizations, in effect cutting the funding of NGOs, Amnesty reported.
"The committee would include members of the Ministry of Interior and General Intelligence services and would not be obliged to give any justifications for its decisions".
The proposed law would also require NGOs to obtain prior approval before conducting any field research or surveys, with violators punished with prison terms of up to three years and a fine of not less than LE100,000 (USD 14,000).
The draft law is expected to be passed after the new parliament convenes, the organizaiton noted.
