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November 27, 2013

Egypt Charges 2 Activists for Demonstrating Against Protest Law 
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A prosecutor in Egypt has ordered the arrest of two leading activists
after they took part in demonstrations against a sweeping new
anti-protest law. Ahmed Maher is a founder of the April 6 youth
movement, which played a key role in the ouster of President Hosni
Mubarak during the 2011 uprising. Both he and the prominent Egyptian
blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah attended protests outside the Egyptian
parliament Tuesday where at least two dozen others were reportedly
detained. The new law forces protesters to obtain seven different
permits in order to hold public rallies, making protests all but
impossible. In Geneva, a spokesperson for the United Nations high
commissioner for human rights criticized the measure.

Rupert Colville: "The High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay is
today warning that a new law regulating demonstrations in Egypt, which
was announced on Sunday, could lead to serious breaches of the right to
freedom of peaceful assembly. She states unequivocally for a range of
reasons that the law should be amended. Of particular concern are the
provisions on the use of force by law enforcement officials and the
excessive sanctions, including massive fines as well as prison
sentences, that can be imposed on those found to be in breach of this
law."

 

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