16 other Americans receive guilty verdict
Saying that the guilty NGO trial verdicts and sentences against 43 NGO representatives by Egyptian court as potically-motivated one, the United States of America today said the decision runs contrary to the universal principle of freedom of association and is incompatible with the transition to democracy.
In his remarks in Washington DC, US Secretary of State John Kerry expresses concern by the guilty veridects handed down by an Egyptian court against the NGO representatives.
Moreover, Secretary Kerry says the decision to close these organizations’ offices and seize their assets contradicts the Government of Egypt’s commitments to support the role of civil society as a fundamental actor in a democracy and contributor to development, especially at this critical stage in the Egyptian people’s democratic transition.
He underlines that civic groups and international NGOs play a legitimate role in any democracy and are critical to advancing freedoms, supporting universal human rights, giving voice to citizens’ views, and acting as appropriate checks on the government.
Higlighting concern for the Egypt’s decision, Secretary Kerry urges the Government of Egypt to work with civic groups as they respond to the Egyptian people’s aspirations for democracy as guaranteed in Egypt’s new constitution.
16 other Americans receive guilty verdict
Reports say an Egyptian court has sentenced 43 non-profit workers, including 16 Americans to jail in a case against foreign-funded pro-democracy groups.
The ruling includes a jail of time of up to five years deepen. The verdict was under international scrutiny particularly by the United States asserting that the decisions impede the successfull Egypt’s transition to democratic rule.
The NGO representatives were of fueling protests in 2011 against the military.
The verdict also ordered the closure of the offices of the U.S. nonprofit groups and one German organization for which many of the NGO staff worked.
Earlier this June, the Egyptian presidency drafted recent law regulating non-governmental organizations.
The United States of America expressed concern by saying that draft law still imposes significant government controls and restrictions on the activities and funding of civic groups.
But contrary to what the Egyptian administration saying about the drafted NGO law, the United States of America says the new law appears contrary to the right of freedom of association enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a party.
President Morsi asserted that the new law would liberate a civil society that was stifled by former leader Mubarak, a former leader who was ousted by the prominent democratic uprising in 2011.
In May 2012, with the hope of regaining the country’s stability after the revolution, Egyptians headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the country’s first free vote for a leader in 5,000 years of history.
Around 50 million eligible Egyptian voters were called to choose 13 candidates.
Earlier in 2012, President Obama proposed a $1 billion cancellation of Egyptian debt to support Egypt’s economic recovery.
Egypt has made progress on human rights since the revolution that toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Long-standing regimes were toppled by a wave of pro-democracy protests that have engulfed much of North Africa and the Middle East in 2011, particularly in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
