On May 26, 1999, Egyptian President Mubarak ratified a new Law on Civil Associations and Institutions (Law 153 of 1999). The law, which severely restricts freedom of association, was adopted the same day by the People’s Assembly; meanwhile Egypt was also concluding an Association Agreement with the EU within the framework of the Barcelona process. On June 21, 1999, the EU Council welcomed the successful conclusion of the negotiations between the EU and Egypt.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) have over the past year closely followed the process that led to the adoption of Law 153 of 1999. In December 1998 they commissioned a mission to Cairo to investigate into the arrest of Hafez Abu Saeda, Secretary General of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR). In February 1999, they sent a second mission to Cairo to make enquiries into the preparatory work on the Draft Law on Private Association and Institutions as well as the pending case against Hafez Abu Saeda and the EOHR’s case for obtaining legal recognition.
In May 1999, when the report from the February mission was about to be released they were informed that a Bill on Civil Associations and Institutions was about to be swiftly passed by the People’s Assembly, and it was decided to send an urgent third mission to Cairo.
This report summarises the main results of the two latest missions undertaken by the EMHRN and the FIDH. It is divided into two parts, the first of which reports from the May mission and mainly deals with the Law on Private Associations and Institutions. The second part reports from the mission of February 1999 and deals with EOHR’s case to obtain legal recognition and the pending case against Hafez Abu Saeda. Finally, it describes the process of drafting of the new law on Private Associations and Institutions.