Reports
Cairo: June 2003

Introduction           Section one            Section two           Section three     

Summary of the 2002 Annual Report

Introduction:

This is EOHR’s thirteenth annual report and comes at a time when Egypt and the rest of the Arab region is witnessing international debates on the absence of freedoms and the urgent need for democratic and institutional reform.  Accordingly, EOHR stresses the need for defending human rights and civil liberties in Egypt as they constitute the primary

basis for democratic development in Egypt.

 This report does not differ from previous reports in its organization: it provides information on cases which were monitored and defended by EOHR.  EOHR has defended the rights and dignities of Egyptian citizens regardless of their religion, sex, language, race, or political and intellectual orientation.  It believes that there are issues that cannot be separated, such as human rights and democracy.  Democracy cannot be realized without the promotion of the rights of women.  It also cannot be achieved without realizing that social and economic rights – in particular, the rights of the impoverished – are central to building a democratic society and encouraging human rights.

In addition to the interrelatedness and indivisibility of human rights and democracy, one also cannot separate the stagnation of Egyptian civil and political life on the one hand, and the laws and procedures that restrict private and public freedoms on the other.  The latter have become characteristic features of Egyptian legislation, particularly since the Emergency Law – which in EOHR’s view the government uses as an alternate “constitution” for governance – continues to be in force.

 The human rights situation in Egypt in 2002 is not dissimilar to that in previous years.  It continues to be characterized by the following features:

 Firstly: The continuing role of the Supreme Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation, and the administrative judiciary in issuing rulings which affirm entrenched constitutional principles.

 Secondly: The continuing role of civil society institutions and NGOs in defending human rights and women’s issues, and raising awareness of the integral relationship between human rights and democratic reform.   

Thirdly: The continuation of practices by the Egyptian executive and security authorities which violate human rights and civic freedoms.

 The actions of the executive and security authorities have had a negative effect on human rights in Egypt, and any positive developments continue to be shrouded in a multitude of human rights violations committed against Egyptian citizens.  The Egyptian authorities commonly disregard court rulings.  Although many judicial rulings refer to the protection of human rights and the basic freedoms of Egyptian citizens, the executive and security authorities in Egypt continue to disregard them.

 In EOHR’s view, there has been no significant improvement in the human rights situation in Egypt in comparison to previous years.  Torture continues to figure prominently – it is the most significant form of the violation of the right to life and physical integrity.  Other prominent issues involve violations to the right to a fair and impartial trial, and the general overall stifling of Egyptian civil and political life through laws that restrict the activities of political parties, NGOs and professional syndicates.

 This report surveys a wide range of violations committed in 2002 and is based on information received, monitored and documented by lawyers at EOHR’s Fieldwork Unit.  The information provided in this report does not represent the actual number of human rights violations, particularly in cases involving violations of the right to a fair and impartial trial and the right to form political parties.  In respects to other issues, EOHR did its best to monitor as exhaustively as possible; however, in regards to the two aforementioned issues, although the numbers do not reflect the actual volume of violations, they nevertheless affirm the existence of them.  Needless to say, it is outside the capacity of EOHR to monitor all violations that occur in Egypt.   

EOHR strives to present a neutral and objective picture and relies on the following methodology for documenting and monitoring human rights: 

1. Sources of Information

   1. Receiving human rights complaints and related information from citizens, individuals or groups.

   2. Following up on cases brought to EOHR’s attention through the media. This task is the responsibility of EOHR’s Information and Documentation Unit.

   3. Reviewing the media and reports from foreign NGOs in order to ascertain the situation of Egyptians living abroad.

2. Documenting and Verifying Information

   1. Receiving complaints, interviewing complainants, sending relevant questions to the competent authorities and following up on the case until a response is received.  All responses are kept on file.

   2. Visiting locations where violations are alleged to have occurred.

   3. Visiting prisons and meeting prisoners and detainees

   4. Monitoring trials and investigations related to human rights violations.

The report records the human rights situation in three sections: 

The First Section: This section highlights and evaluates the most prominent improvements in legislation, judicial verdicts and procedures in 2002. 

The Second Section: This section outlines the more prominent human rights violations during 2002, whether committed by governmental or non-governmental bodies. 

The Third Section: This section summarizes EOHR’s activities during 2002 such as monitoring violations, human rights awareness raising, and its specific projects such as legal aid for women and refugees.