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The Committee for Defending Democracy
The "Police State" in Egypt committed a new violation of human rights. Its recent measures confiscate the citizens' rights to assemble to declare their opinion about a certain issue.
The State Security Investigation informed the coordinator of the Committee for Defending Democracy, through a phone call, that the Ministry of Interior decided - for security reasons - to ban the assembly that the committee had called for.
Such assembly was to be held before the Presidential Palace in Abdeen Square on Wednesday, October 22, 2003. The aforementioned assembly was to be held with the aim of supporting the delegation of the committee- 10 members- which will submit the signatures of the heads of the political parties, NGOs and public figures and citizens to a document prepared by the committee. The document is entitled "An Appeal for Urgent Political, Constitutional and Democratic Reform". Only five of the members of the Committee for Defending Democracy will be allowed to submit the document inside the Republican Palace.
The document was prepared by the Committee for Defending Democracy at the beginning of last May.
It was signed by the heads of the following political parties: Al Tagammu, Al Wafd, the Nasserist Party and the Labor party. Among the signatories to the document were the officials of some of the NGOs who are members of the committee, (The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of the Victims of Torture, Hisham Mubarak Law Center, Center for Trade Union and Workers Services, Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners, the New Civic Forum, and the Egyptian Communist party.
The Committee decided to postpone the assembly in Abdeen Square to spare the participants the assaults of the police. As a protest against such measure that contradicts public freedoms and dialogue, the Committee decided also that its members will not submit the document themselves to the presidential Palace.
Moreover, the Committee has decided to take the necessary measures to set another date for that assembly in the same place. When necessary, the Committee will resort to the judiciary to protect the right to assemble and to organize peaceful marches whether to express opinion or to protest.
Note:
The Committee for Defending Democracy will hold its press conference at the headquarters of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR).
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