Press release
Cairo:25/6/2003

After a 18-year Legal Struggle

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights(EOHR) Attains Legal Recognition as an NGO under the NGOs Law (#84/2002)

 On June 24, 2002, EOHR was granted a registration number by the Ministry of Social Affairs and became a legally registered NGO (registration #5220) according to the NGOs Law (#84/2002).

 The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights was registered in 1985 as a branch of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, and presented a request in 1987 for registration under Law #32 of 1964; however, the Ministry refused the request at the that time, and EOHR’s appeal to the administrative judiciary upheld the refusal.  In 1992, EOHR launched a challenge against this verdict before the Supreme Administrative Court, and subsequent hearings continued until 2000. During this period, the government enacted new legislation pertaining to NGOs – NGOs Law (#135/1999), and EOHR applied again for registration under this new law.  However, the administrative body postponed consideration of the application as a result of a request from security authorities.  This was a de facto negative decision from the administration; therefore, EOHR challenged the decision before the administrative judiciary which, on July 1, 2001, ordered the Ministry of Social Affairs to register EOHR, an order with which the Ministry refused to comply. After the current NGOs Law (#84/2002) was enacted, EOHR once again applied for registration.  Largely as a result of the July 2001 decision, the Ministry of Social Affairs approved the application for registration on June 24, 2003.

 Formal legal recognition of EOHR by the authorities has finally come only after years of recognition as a bona fide NGO by many sectors of Egyptian society and international human rights community.  EOHR reaffirms, while its legal status has changed, it will continue to advocate for the principles and goals on which it was established: that is, defence for human rights and human dignity, as well as the inclusion of human rights in all initiatives which aim at democratic reform in Egypt.  Moreover, EOHR affirms its call for the guarantee of all civil and political rights to individuals, political parties, NGOs and syndicates within all spheres of social and political activity.  In this regard, EOHR expresses its solidarity with human rights and women’s rights organizations which were recently refused registration for security reasons.  EOHR calls on the authorities to review its decision regarding the registration of these organizations in order to ensure protection for the right to peaceful assembly, and the freedoms of opinion and expression.  Finally, EOHR hopes that there will be new channels of communication with the competent human rights bodies which will foster a dialogue aimed at the promotion of human rights principles in Egypt.