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16 Egyptian Human Rights Organizations demand the cancellation of the resolution to close Ahalina Center and the elimination of pressures
on NGOs The undersigned human rights organizations condemn hereby Qalyubia governor's resolution to close Ahalina Center for Egyptian Family Support and Development (Ahalina). Ahalina Center was founded early in 2006 with the purpose to provide tangible health, environmental, legal, educational, and other services for children, women, and men in Shubra Al-Khima city which lacks many of the basic utilities. On 24 December 2006, employees from Shubra Al-Khima Municipality accompanied by policemen stormed into Ahalina headquarter and attempted to close and seal it with red wax, upon Qalyubia governor's resolution. The governor claimed that Ahalina is "inciting riots" and that the center is not licensed (i.e. shops license). Ahalina staff refused to comply with the resolution and subsequently a police minutes to prove the noncompliance was written. The undersigned organizations wonder about the alleged riots of Ahalina represented in practicing its anticipated role by submitting complaints signed by the citizens of slum and deprived areas to the governor's office and issuing a press release in response to governor's false statements that Qalyubia governorate has no slum or lacking-utilities areas. On the other hand, the governor based his resolution on the fact that the center is not licensed (i.e. shops license), despite the fact that Ahalina is not a shop but a non-governmental organization (NGO) which is subject to registration in The Ministry of Social Solidarity. However, registration procedures are postponed due to the routine obstacles imposed by ministry officials. Ahalina also suffered much harassment by Egyptian State Security Intelligence (SSI) in earlier times, according to Ahalina alert. It is believed that the main reason behind the resolution - which Ahalina staff is not allowed to see yet - is that Ahalina issued a press release in response to Qalyubia governor Adli Hussein's statements, published on 11 November 2006 in Al-Gomhuria Newspaper, that slum areas in Qalyubia are completely supplied with utilities. In its press release dated 11 December 2006; Ahalina emphasized that numerical statistics announced in newspapers indicate that Qalyubia governorate contains "183 villages which lack water and electric supplies, use damaged sanitary drainage networks, and breathe air polluted with lead …" The undersigned organizations confirm its complete rejection to the use of such security and administrative methodology in dealing with human rights and development NGOs. The most recent example of these harassments is the pressures practiced by security forces on Shepherd hotel in Cairo to cancel the workshop of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo) in 23 December 2006. HRinfo's workshop was meant to discuss its recently published report on the endless adversary between Arab governments and the internet. HRinfo, eventually had to hold its workshop at Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate headquarter. The undersigned organizations are highly concerned with the methodology adopted by the state, represented in using administrative authorities and ministries to pressure civil society organizations which advocate human rights and expose the faults of governmental and executive authorities. It is noteworthy that administrative authorities used The Ministry of Health to pressure Al-Nadim Center for Psychological Rehabilitation of the Victims of Torture, two years ago. The ministry employees stormed into Al-Nadim headquarter and stolen patients' documents. The undersigned organizations consider these practices completely contradicting governmental statements in respect with the claimed "cooperation between governmental authorities and civil society institutions" and that "NGOs have become a responsible partner in solving citizens' problems". The Egyptian regime is apparently looking forward to a civil society which praises its deeds rather than criticizing its faults. Thereupon, the undersigned human rights organizations announce their solidarity with Ahalina Center and confirm on the necessity to eliminate the guardianship methodology adopted by governmental and security authorities in dealing with civil society institutions. The undersigned organizations also call upon Qalyubia governor Adli Hussein to immediately cancel the resolution to close Ahalina center and not to allow any security or administrative authority to harass Ahalina center which plays a vital role in developing life circumstances of the people of Qalyubia governorate. The Signatories:
2- Arabic Network for Human Rights Information 3- Arab Program for Human Rights Activists 4- Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights 5- Egyptian Association for Participation and Sustainable Development 6- Egyptian Association Against Torture 7- Human Rights Civil Monitor 8- Egyptian Center for Human Rights 9- Egyptian Center for Housing Rights 10- Egyptian Democratic Institute 11- Association for Human Rights Legal Aid 12- El-Ganob Center for Human Rights 13- Al-Nadim Center for Psychological Rehabilitation of the Victims of Torture 14- Maat Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Studies 15- Hisham Mubark Law Center 16- Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression 17-Egyptian Aid Association for Human Rights |
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