Press release
Cairo:25/2/2003

EOHR campaign for the cessation of the emergency law                   

EOHR’s Report on the Impact of the Emergency Law on Human Rights

Situation in Egypt

(1992-2002)

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) issues today its first report in the year 2003 entitled” The impact of the emergency law on human rights situations: 1992-2002”. This report is issued after the approval of the Peoples’ Assembly on 23-2-2003 to extend the emergency state for more three years till 2006 so it has been continuously extended for about 25 years as it has been in force in Egypt since the assassination of El Sadat in 1981.

Worth mentioning that, the emergency state is supposed to end in May 2003 . The executive authorities are justifying the decision to extend the emergency law on two grounds: its necessity in the current international situation and the combating of terrorism. EOHR rejects such justifications. Dealing with the current international situation requires the implementation of democracy, public freedoms and civil participation to confront political, economic and cultural challenges. Moreover, Egypt has not witnessed any terrorist activity since 1997, removing the necessity of any justification of emergency based on terrorism.

Since the establishment of EOHR in 1985, it has highlighted the dangers of the emergency law and its negative impact on domestic human rights in Egypt. The emergency law grants the executive broad powers to impose restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, movement and residence. It allows wide powers of arrest, search and detention without the protections contained in the Criminal Procedures Code. Further, the law gives the Military Ruler the power to issue decrees that have the effect of law. This has resulted in a parallel system of exceptional courts that are permitted to violate fair trial standards.

In this regard, EOHR issues this report in order to highlight the crisis of the human rights situation in Egypt due to the persistence of the emergency state. This report is divided into five sections:

First: The emergency law and human rights in Egypt.

Second: Violation of the right to a fair and impartial trial.

Third: Restrictions on the freedom of opinion and expression under the emergency law.

Fourth: Violation of the right to peaceful assembly.

Fifth: Restrictions imposed on the right to participating in public affairs.

            In addition, EOHR presents some recommendations as well as there are annexes showing violations that have been committed under the emergency state during 1992-2002 which include the number of civilians who were referred to military judiciary, the number of journalists and activists who were referred to state security courts because of their opinions. Also, it includes examples of the impact of the emergency law on the right to peaceful assembly according to EOHR’s field work data.

By the issuance of this report, EOHR aims at highlighting the contradiction between human rights and the emergency to promote and support current efforts to create democratic atmosphere based on respecting citizens’ rights and basic freedoms.