Cairo/Copenhagen, 18/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - The EMHRN, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, has condemned the Egyptian government's decision “to dissolve the Association for Human rights and Legal Aid (AHRLA)” which was active in revealing institutionalised use of torture in Egypt. The reason given for the closure of the Association was that AHRLA had broken the law preventing NGOs from receiving foreign funding without permission. This “legal weapon”, often used in various countries to block European support for civil society in Mediterranean countries, is criticised by the EMHRN. It says that, in this instance, the use of this measure shows the government's willingness to use it despite its ineffectiveness and the criticism of the international community.
On Saturday, several human rights organisations accused Egypt of restricting the freedom of the press, after it sentenced four journalists to one year in prison for having “harmed the general interest” in articles criticising the regime, even though the court did not find them guilty of defamation of the head of state. “Egypt continues to imprison journalists and editors who publish stories critical of President Hosni Mubarak and other high officials,” said Human Rights Watch in a press release. (fb)