UN RIGHTS CHIEF WARNS EGYPT AT RISK OF DRIFTING AWAY FROM IDEALS THAT IGNITED REVOLUTION

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 8 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400
Subject: UN RIGHTS CHIEF WARNS EGYPT AT RISK OF DRIFTING AWAY FROM
IDEALS THAT IGNITED REVOLUTION
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

UN RIGHTS CHIEF WARNS EGYPT AT RISK OF DRIFTING AWAY FROM IDEALS THAT
IGNITED REVOLUTIONNew York, May 8 2013 3:00PMExpressing concern
about key legislative measures being considered by Egyptian
authorities, the United Nations human rights chief today
<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13306&LangID=E">urged
the Government to take steps to ensure it does not drift further away
from the ideals that drove the 2011 revolution in the country.

In particular, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay
pointed to a draft law that would constrain the activities of civil
society organizations, as well as efforts to limit the authority of
the judiciary, as measures that should be carefully examined and
brought into line with international standards before they are
adopted.

"I am very concerned that the new law, if adopted in its current form,
may leave them in a worse situation than they were prior to the fall
of the Mubarak Government in 2011. And – after all the country has
been through in the past two years – that would be a truly tragic
development," Ms. Pillay said.

"This is a critical moment, with mounting concerns about a range of
issues. These include the new Constitution and the manner in which it
was adopted, the apparent efforts to limit the authority of the
judiciary, and this current draft law which risks placing civil
society under the thumb of security ministries which have a history of
abusing human rights and an interest in minimizing scrutiny."

Protests that erupted on 25 January 2011 eventually toppled the then
President Hosni Mubarak and led to a transition period in the country,
which was part of a larger group of movements in the region that
became known as the Arab Spring.

In June 2012, Mohammed Morsi was elected President in the first
presidential elections since the revolution began. However, protests
were reignited when Mr. Morsi issued a Constitutional Declaration in
November temporarily suspending the powers of Egyptian courts, and
again when the country voted on a draft Constitution in December 2012.

Ms. Pillay said her office (OHCHR) had submitted detailed comments and
proposals regarding the draft law on civil society.

"The proposed law has gone through various drafts. There remains some
confusion – and much concern that the latest draft, like previous
ones, largely ignores inputs from local and international human rights
organizations, and, if adopted, will impose a series of draconian
restrictions on civil society organizations, especially those focused
on human rights," she said.

"It seems that there is a real risk that the current draft will not
only make it difficult for civil society to operate freely and
effectively, but may also conflict with Egypt's obligations under
international law to uphold the right to freedom of association."

Ms. Pillay underlined that the rights to freedoms of association and
assembly, which are currently under threat, are the very rights that
prompted Egyptian women and men to come together during the Egyptian
revolution.

"Governments that seek to constrain these types of activities, for
example by controlling access to funds, giving sweeping oversight
powers to security agencies, and placing undue constraints on
international human rights organizations – all elements contained in
the various drafts of this law – risk slipping quickly into
authoritarianism, even if that is not their initial intention," the
High Commissioner warned.

Ms. Pillay also noted that the new Constitution risks giving the
Executive excessive power over the judiciary by allowing the President
to directly appoint judges to the Supreme Court. "This concentration
of power risks undermining the independence of the judiciary."

She added that recent actions by authorities targeting protesters,
journalists and other activists need to be investigated and reiterated
her office's readiness to work with the Government on these issues.May
8 2013 3:00PM
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