The announcement of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information halting its activities provoked widespread reactions in Egyptian civil society, as it is one of the largest human rights organizations in Egypt.

The announcement of the organization, which has been in operation for 18 years, coincides with the start of 2022, which Egypt previously declared the “Year of Civil Society”.

In a statement today, the network expressed its regret and announced that it had “stopped its work and operations from today”. It comes with a “disregard for the rule of law, an increase in human rights violations, the exclusion of corporations and independent human rights defenders, and an increase in police cases under legal or judicial cover-up,” he said. Or direct cases. “

The group, led by prominent human rights lawyer Kamal Eid, called for “arrests of staff members, theft, violent physical assaults and illegal summonses” as the security services targeting the Arab network were so severe and hostile. , Except for “attempts to spy on some members of the task force” on the Arab network.

As soon as the report was released, several international and Egyptian civil service organizations quickly expressed their “regret” over the decision.

Amnesty International tweeted, “After 18 years of dedicated work for human rights, we regret the suspension of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information in the wake of harassment by the Arab Network’s Egyptian authorities, and its founder Kamal Eid and its staff.”

The group described the announcement as “a great loss to the human rights movement” and called on Egyptian authorities to repeal the organization’s repressive law.

Mohamed Abdel Aziz, deputy chairman of the Human Rights Council in the House of Representatives, said: “Egyptian law applies to civil society and human rights organizations. This law applies to all. There is an opportunity. . ” .

“We call on all, Arab networks and other organizations working in the field of civil society to compromise their circumstances in accordance with the law, and they can work as freely as in the rest of the world,” Sputnik news agency Abdel Aziz was quoted as saying.

Significantly, the Egyptian president announced that 2022 would be the year of “civil society” as he began to implement the new NGO law, which had been rejected by most human rights organizations in Egypt. Their job. “

The Egyptian government introduced a comprehensive electronic system last September to allow unions and civil society organizations to register and compromise their position by the deadline of January 10.

Source: “Sputnik”

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