Civil Society in Egypt … March 2024 Parties, Syndicates and Human Rights

Section One: Egyptian Political Parties

Introduction:

The charitable and social engagement among most of the political parties supportive of the government, resurged particularly with the beginning of the month of Ramadan. Furthermore, there is a growing wave of social activism and labor protests, starting with workers at the Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company commencing a work strike, demanding the enforcement of the presidential decree on minimum wages. Additionally, various political parties and movements have announced their support and endorsement of these legitimate demands.

 

Homeland Future Party (Mostaqbal Watan Party):

• In light of the beginning of Ramadan, the Homeland Future Party has launched the “Caravans of Goodness” initiative, aiming to distribute food supplies to the most disadvantaged families in the Red Sea, Giza, and Cairo governorates. Additionally, they organized an Iftar event for orphans in Marsa Matruh Governorate.
• Engineer Hussam El-Khouli, the party’s vice president, also commended the Central Bank’s decision to free the exchange rate of the pound against foreign currencies and raise interest rates to 6% in banks. He noted that this decision came at an opportune time and represents a significant step forward in stimulating investment.

 

The Constitution Party (Al Dostour Party):

• A state of calm prevailed within the Constitution Party, as we only observed the holding of the second preparatory session for the Egyptian-Sudanese Parties Movement. Representatives from the Sudanese side participated, including members of the Sudanese National Alliance, alongside Egyptian parties such as the Conservatives Party and the Constitution Party.
• Additionally, the party’s president participated in a seminar organized by the Freedom Committee of the Egyptian Writers Union, where she discussed the distinction between mobilizational and liberation literature. This took place on the sidelines of the elections for the Egyptian Writers Union, held on March 6th.

 

Bread and Freedom Party (Under Establishment):

• On March 3rd, the Bread and Freedom Party issued a solidarity statement with the workers of Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company (Wael Abu Zouid, Mahmoud Talba, Sabah Ali Al-Qattan, Mohamed El-Attar, Abdelhamid Abu Amna), who were detained by national security forces in Tanta due to the strike of workers at Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company, demanding an increase in the minimum wage for public sector workers to 6000 Egyptian pounds, in line with those in the state’s administrative apparatus. The party called for the release of the detained workers and for responding to all legitimate workers’ demands in their statement.
• The Bread and Freedom Party also held a panel discussion titled “Reading the Wave of Labor Strikes… Turning Them into a New Station for Social Resistance?” The discussion was moderated by socialist journalist Hisham Fouad and Kamal Abbas, the General Coordinator of the Center for Trade Union and Workers Services.
• The party issued a statement of solidarity with Palestinian women on March 8th, posing the question in the statement: “Where are the rights of Palestinian women on International Women’s Day? Amidst the crimes of genocide, starvation warfare, and forced displacement.”
• The party criticized the decision to raise interest rates and float the Egyptian pound, as it would lead to a new wave of impoverishment for Egyptians and enrich a few wealthy individuals.
• On March 19th, the founding member of the party Suzan, along with other party members, participated in a protest organized by the Popular Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding intensified pressure to open the Rafah crossing and allow aid-laden trucks to enter Gaza.

 

Egyptian Social Democratic Party:

• MP Samira El-Gazar, representing the party, presented a parliamentary inquiry about the Ras El Hekma deal on March 7th.
• Farid El-Bayadi, MP and Deputy President of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, posed a parliamentary inquiry concerning the new Suez Canal expansion project on March 8th.
• On March 11th, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party organized a seminar titled “Occupation Crimes and Gaza’s Resilience: Witnessed Stories” where Palestinian poet Nasser Atallah, a member of the Palestinian Writers and Authors Union, discussed the general Palestinian plight and the specific challenges faced by Gaza residents.
• MP Ehab Mansour submitted a request for clarification regarding the fire incident at the Ahram Studios for Cinematic Production in Giza Governorate on March 16th.
• MP Sanaa El-Saeed, representing the party in the House of Representatives, posed a parliamentary inquiry on March 20th regarding the delayed release of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics report for 2021/2022 regarding income, expenditure, and consumption.

 

Conservatives Party (Al Mohafezeen Party):

• The Women’s Secretariat of the party released a statement on March 2nd, urging the public prosecutor to swiftly investigate the suicide case of the “Arish girl” and to hold accountable those involved, particularly the deputy college head at Arish University. The statement also highlighted the need for a prompt inquiry into the individuals responsible for blackmailing her with private photos.
• On the same day, March 2nd, the Conservatives Party issued a statement addressing the “Government’s Expenditure of Millions of Dollars on Website Blocking.” The party expressed grave concern over the decision of the U.S. Department of Commerce to include the Canadian technology firm Sandvine on the list of banned entities. Sandvine had provided the Egyptian government with technology used for mass website surveillance, news censorship, and targeting political figures and human rights activists.
• The Policy Council of the Conservatives Party unveiled a “Policy Paper on Egypt’s Education Crisis” on March 3rd, aimed at examining the challenges confronting the education sector in Egypt.
• March 10th witnessed the Workers’ Secretariat of the Conservatives Party expressing dissatisfaction with the continued detention of Mahalla workers post the strike’s conclusion. This detention came as a response to the Minister of Public Enterprises’ reluctance to implement the minimum wage decision.
• On March 19th, the Conservatives Party declared its solidarity with demonstrations supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza, underlining the importance of expressing humanitarian and ethical principles towards the Palestinian community’s plight.
• On March 21st, the Conservatives Party organized a commemorative event for Rachel Corrie, a prominent activist from the International Solidarity Movement who was tragically killed by the Israeli occupation forces in 2003.

 

Socialist Popular Alliance Party:

• On March 3rd, the People’s Alliance Party held a seminar titled “The Power and Money Networks in Egypt” and their impact on society.
• The party organized an online discussion on March 4th regarding “The Issue of Wages and Labor Strikes.”
• On March 7th, the Socialist People’s Alliance Party hosted a seminar evaluating labor protests and the experiences of past struggles, through a discussion of the book by labor journalist Hisham Fouad titled “Workers on the Road to January – A Reading of Three Labor Battles with Workers’ Movement Bulletins.”
• The party also announced its rejection of health privatization in a statement, as well as its opposition to arbitrary measures that increase illness among the poor and deprive them of their constitutional rights to treatment.
• The Socialist People’s Alliance Party organized a Ramadan evening on March 16th in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

 

Dignity Party (Al Karama Party):

• Leaders from the Dignity Party, including party leader Hamdeen Sabahi, participated in a sit-in protest in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding entry of aid through the Rafah border as human shields to protect it.
• On the same day, March 18th, the party condemned the attempted assault on Mr. Hamdeen Sabahi by unknown individuals. The news reported that Mr. Sabahi was confronted by unknown individuals riding a motorcycle without license plates, attempting to stop his car and engage in a confrontation with him and his companions, trying to steal the car keys. However, citizens intervened to prevent this, and the individuals eventually left after receiving instructions from some people present at the scene.

 

The Republican People’s Party:

• The Republican People’s Party launched a series of exhibitions for selling goods and food products at reduced prices for citizens in Sohag and Giza governorates, along with a medical convoy in Fakous, Sharqia.
• Additionally, the People’s Party issued a supportive statement for the recent economic decisions of floating the pound and raising interest rates, describing them as positive and in line with the party’s vision.

The Revolutionary Socialists Movement:

• The movement issued a solidarity statement for the workers of Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company, calling for their immediate release.
• On March 4th, the movement published a report titled “How Users Lost Control of the Internet.”
• On March 14th, the movement released a report titled “The New Hospital Regulations: The Path to Getting Rid of Public Health Facilities and Privatizing Healthcare.” The report shed light on the neglect in the management of government hospitals.
• On March 21st, the movement called for continuing the collection of signatures on a petition demanding the speedy release of the workers at Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company, namely Mohamed Tolba and Wael Abu Zeid, who were arrested on February 29th after a strike demanding an increase in the minimum wage.

 

Section 2: Professional and Labor Unions in Egypt

Professional Unions:

• Egyptian Journalists Syndicate:
• Temporary journalists organized a protest in the Journalists Syndicate building on February 28th, with the participation of Syndicate President Khaled El-Balshy, demanding employment in their national institutions. El-Balshy announced plans for a series of events to pressure officials to hire journalists who work without guarantees, insurance, and receive meager salaries.
• The supervisory committee overseeing the elections of the Critics and Sports Editors Association, within the Journalists Syndicate, announced the results of the association’s elections held on March 4th, which saw a high turnout to choose a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and six members.
• The State Security Prosecution granted bail to journalist Rana Mamdouh from Mada Masr, setting it at 5,000 pounds on March 10th, after her arrest in a security checkpoint in Alamein while on her way to Ras El-Hekma city in Marsa Matrouh Governorate on a work assignment. The Freedom Committee of the Journalists Syndicate had demanded Rana’s release, emphasizing in a statement that “her arrest while performing her journalistic work sends extremely negative messages and gives a serious indication regarding journalistic work freedom, at a time when we were expecting positive messages about the release of a new batch of detained journalists.”
• Journalists Syndicate President Khaled El-Balshy launched the “Fair Wage” campaign on March 12th, aiming to raise journalists’ salaries in preparation for establishing a fair wage scale for all journalists, as well as increasing the value of the union contract in line with the minimum wage in Egypt.
• A group of journalists and activists organized a solidarity stand with Palestine, particularly Gaza, facing a war of starvation and annihilation, on March 14th during the Iftar, under the slogan “Iftar of Bread Only” on the steps of the Journalists Syndicate. The demonstrators announced plans to organize similar events weekly during the month of Ramadan.
• The Public Prosecution released Al Jazeera journalists Rabie El-Sheikh and Bahaa El-Din Ibrahim on March 22nd after their detention for up to four years without trial, a move welcomed by the Journalists Syndicate. In response, Khaled El-Balshy, the Syndicate’s President, sent letters to the Public Prosecutor and the Presidential Pardon Committee demanding the release of the remaining journalists detained as a precautionary measure and a review of the sentences issued against them to include them in upcoming presidential pardons.
• The Freedom Committee of the Journalists Syndicate condemned the assault by some lawyers on photographers and journalists while they were covering the lawyers’ elections held on March 23rd.

 

• The Egyptian Lawyers Syndicate:
• Abdel Halim Allam’s victory announcement for the position of Lawyers Syndicate President for a new term ending in 2028 has been made, while the results of the membership positions have not been announced yet. According to the final lists released by the supervisory committee overseeing the elections from the General Syndicate of Lawyers, there were 15 candidates competing for the position of President and 253 candidates for membership seats. The number of registered voters listed in the records reached 322,152 members, according to the Lawyers Syndicate data. The Administrative Prosecution was entrusted with the judicial supervision of the elections.

 

• The Egyptian Engineers Syndicate:
• The supervisory committee overseeing the elections of the Engineers Syndicate announced on February 25 the results of the semi-annual renewal elections held on February 23, confirming that the elections were conducted fairly, transparently, and without any irregularities or violations. Engineers Syndicate President Tarek El-Nabarawi stated, “We look forward to continuing our efforts and work to serve the syndicate, engineers, and the nation. It is important for everyone to respect the will of the general assembly and the elections so that we can move forward and fulfill our roles.”

 

• The General Union of Tourist Guides
• The Administrative Court ruled on February 25, 2024, to cancel the negative decision of abstention from calling for elections for the General Union of Tourist Guides for a period of six years. This decision came in a lawsuit filed by the lawyer of the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, acting on behalf of a number of tourist guides. It is worth mentioning that on July 15, 2015, the council of the General Union of Tourist Guides was elected for the term 2015/2018, which ended on July 14, 2018. A general assembly was called to elect a new council for the term 2018/2021 and was scheduled to be held on August 24, 2018. However, the legal quorum for the meeting was not met, and the second session was held after 7 days, but its legal quorum was also not met with the presence of a quarter of the members. As a result, the council – whose term had ended – continued its activities.

Following this, Minister of Tourism issued decree No. 95 on February 17, 2019, to form a temporary committee to manage the affairs of the General Union of Tourist Guides. Article two of the decree stated that the committee would call for a general assembly of the union to elect a new president and council members. The committee would also manage the affairs of the union for a period of 6 months or until the election of the new council, whichever is sooner. Subsequent decisions by the Minister of Tourism extended the committee’s work for consecutive 6-month periods.

The committee that was appointed by administrative decision to manage the affairs of the union – and inaccurately described as “temporary” – continued its work for a period exceeding the legal duration of the elected council’s term, which resulted in usurping the powers of the union’s general assembly. This action contradicts the constitutional principles of union independence.

Tourist guides repeatedly demanded that the temporary committee call for elections for the union, but it refused to do so for illogical or unrealistic reasons. As a result, 537 tourist guides submitted a signed request to the committee, requesting that it convene a general assembly of the union with an agenda item for conducting elections for the president’s seat and the council seats. Based on this, the lawsuit was filed, which ended with the court’s decision to cancel the committee’s decision and compel it to issue the call for elections.

 

• The Veterinary Doctors’ Union

The Veterinary Doctors’ Union held midterm elections, and Dr. Magdi Hassan won the position of the Veterinary Doctors’ Syndicate President on March 6th.

 

• The Farmers’ and Teachers’ Unions

Dr. Sayed Khalifa, the Farmers’ Syndicate President, and Khalaf El Zanaty, the Teachers’ Syndicate President, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDA) to contribute to the qualification of graduates from agricultural colleges, institutes, and schools and enable them to establish and manage small agricultural projects. This initiative is part of a new program aimed at changing the graduates’ mindset to work in the agricultural sector based on shifting from consumption policies to production policies.

Priority for implementation will be given to the governorates of Upper and Lower Egypt.

 

Labor Unions:

• General Union of Textile and Garment Workers

• Abdel Fattah Ibrahim, the President of the General Union of Textile and Garment Workers and the Secretary-General of the International and Arab Federations of Textile and Garment, as well as a board member of the Cotton Holding Company, requested an increase in the cash allowance allocated for workers’ meals from Engineer Ahmed Shaker, the Executive Managing Director of the Cotton Holding Company. This request comes in light of the rising cost of living. He explained that the cash allowance for meals has not been increased since 2011, which has diminished its purchasing power in the market.

 

• Center for Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS)
• The Center for Trade Unions and Workers Services held a training session on social insurance on March 9th at its headquarters in Cairo. The session was attended by six participants from employees of the Egyptian Telecommunication Company, half of whom were women.

 

The Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC)

• The Arab Trade Union Confederation expressed its full solidarity with the workers of Ghazl El Mahalla (El Mahalla Textiles) in exercising their guaranteed right to strike under Article 15 of the Egyptian Constitution. The confederation also condemned the intimidation tactics used against Ghazl El Mahalla workers and the attempt to symbolically attack this company as one of the main strongholds of the Egyptian labor movement.

Furthermore, it called for the repeal of restrictive legislation on the right to organize and for Egypt to fulfill its obligations under International Labour Organization Convention No. 87 by respecting the rights of Ghazl El Mahalla workers and all Egyptian workers to choose their representatives, engage in negotiations with them, and refrain from fabricating charges and adapting punitive laws to intimidate workers.

 

• The Permanent Conference for Working Women
• The Conference called in its expanded meeting, held on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, for an end to the brutal acts against Palestinian women and girls, and urged providing all forms of support to protect them. The conference also demanded immediate accountability for those responsible for the genocide against the Palestinian people, as well as for the crimes of killing women and children, and insisted on bringing them to justice. It emphasized the need for a safe work environment free from violence, ensuring equal opportunities for women in terms of employment, promotions, and wages, and advocating for equality and non-discrimination based on gender. Additionally, the conference opposed exempting domestic workers from the proposed alternative to Law No. 12 of 2003 regarding labor law.

 

• Union of Workers in the Suez Canal Clubs
• On March 24, seven political entities, 20 union bodies, and 36 public figures issued a statement condemning the unlawful campaign launched by the Ministry of Labor and executive bodies to liquidate the independent Union of Workers in the Suez Canal Clubs, halt its activities, infringe upon its General Assembly’s authority, and deprive the workers of the Suez Canal Clubs of their right to organize and choose their representatives. This action is in violation of the Egyptian Constitution of 2014, Law No. 213 of 2017 on Trade Unions, and international agreements signed by Egypt.

 

• El Mahalla Textiles Company

Workers of El Mahalla Textiles Company, where 16,000 workers are employed, went on strike on February 22nd for a week to demand raising the minimum wage to 6,000 Egyptian pounds, in line with government employees. After a series of negotiations, which included threats and summonses from the National Security apparatus to dozens of workers to pressure them to end the strike, the government partially responded to the workers’ demands. However, despite this, security forces arrested two workers on February 29th, Wael Abu Zeid and Mohamed Tolba, and referred them to the State Security Prosecution, which decided to detain them until now.

 

• Asyut Oils Company

Asyut Oils Company workers announced a strike on February 26th to demand raising the minimum wage for workers in the private sector to 6,000 Egyptian pounds.

 

• Racta Paper Company

The general assembly of Racta Public Company for Paper Industry in Alexandria decided on March 21st to liquidate the company due to the worsening losses. The company was established in 1958 and was considered the oldest and largest paper production company in the Middle East, with an area of approximately 100 acres.

 

 

Section Three: Human Rights Organizations:

·        The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR):

• On March 5th, the President of the Council delivered a speech before the Education and Scientific Research Committee of the Senate, highlighting the importance of involving youth in the reformation of human rights curricula in Egypt.
• The National Council, carried out educational and capacity-building activities in the field of human rights. The Training Committee of the Council concluded its second training session on “Fundamentals of Human Rights” for employees of human rights units and services directorates in Fayoum Governorate, with funded by the European Union.
• The President of the National Council issued a decision to form a cultural committee comprised of council members to evaluate the dramatic works presented during the month of Ramadan and select the best work that promotes citizen awareness of human rights.

 

·        The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR)

 

• The Egyptian Center won a ruling for compensating a journalist who worked at “Ro’ya News Network” with an amount of 180,000 Egyptian pounds as compensation for his arbitrary dismissal and in lieu of accrued leave balance.
• On March 5th, the Center issued a position paper on the lives of refugees titled “Refugees in Egypt… Escaping the Hell of War to the Challenges of Living in an Alternative Homeland.”
• On March 14th, the Egyptian Center started an initiative called “Know Your Rights” to contribute to increasing legal awareness in a simple and direct manner.
• On March 19th, the Egyptian Center obtained the executive format of the Administrative Court’s ruling in Beni Suef to cancel the decision to terminate the service of Dr. Mohamed Mohy Al-Din from working at the Engineering College at Beni Suef University on the grounds of his absence from work, paving the way for its implementation.
• On March 24th, lawyers from the Egyptian Center attended a session to renew the detention of two workers from the Egyptian Spinning and Weaving Company in Mahalla, namely Wael Abu Zeid and Mohamed Mahmoud Tolba, at the Supreme State Security Prosecution.

 

The Egyptian Front for Human Rights:

 

• On March 12th, the Egyptian Front published a documentation paper regarding the conditions of illegal detention at the State Security headquarters in Shubra El-Kheima and Abbassiya areas, including detainees held “involuntarily,” detailing living conditions, health conditions, investigations, as well as the main National Security headquarters in Abbassiya and documenting the conditions of detainees held inside it.

   Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA)

 

• On February 27th, The Program to Combat Violence against Women initiated a training course with 22 lawyers from Qena, Sohag, and Minya governorates. The program took place in Qena for three consecutive days to discuss a unified law to combat violence.
• Additionally, the Justice Access Program organized an awareness seminar on personal status laws for 30 women at the headquarters of the Fatima Al-Zahra Women’s Association for Sustainable Development in Qena Governorate.
• Furthermore, the Justice Access Program held a seminar in Sohag Governorate discussing a more just family law for Egyptian families. The seminar was attended by 45 participants including lawyers, media representatives, associations, religious figures including Imams from Ministry of Endowments and Al-Azhar, university professors, and some public figures from Sohag Governorate.

 

   The New Woman Foundation:

 

• On March 7th, the foundation organized the “Initiatives and Associations Gathering of Legal Support Providers” in cooperation with “Voice Initiative” as part of the Legal Protection Program against Violence against Women, in partnership with the Diaconia Association.
• On March 17th, within the scope of the project “Legal Protection to Combat Violence against Women,” the foundation held a workshop on “Legal Approach between the Unified Violence Law and Convention 190.” The workshop aimed to discuss the proposed unified law that opposes all forms of violence in both public and private domains.

 

 Technology and Law Community – Masaar:

 

• In mid-March, Masar issued a legal paper regarding the establishment of a Data Protection Center, as it is considered the main entity responsible for enforcing the Personal Data Protection Law. The paper introduces standard frameworks for the controls that must be followed and addresses concerns that must be taken into account to ensure proper implementation of the law.
• Masar also issued a paper on the impact of online surveillance on press freedom, discussing the challenges posed by cyber surveillance on investigative journalism and the freedom to exchange information.

   Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression

 

• The association condemned the serious violations resulting from the decision of the Terrorism Felonies Circuit to prevent lawyers from attending with their clients separately. It stated that “what happened constitutes a clear violation of the rights of defense and the accused together.”

   Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms

 

• On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms launched its annual campaign “HUN” to monitor and address a number of violations against women, including electronic extortion and partner extortion.
• On March 19, the Administrative Court in Shebin Al-Koum accepted the lawsuit filed by the Egyptian Commission on behalf of Mohamed Abdel Hameed Abdullah Al-Sayed regarding his son “Ahmed” receiving treatment for “muscular dystrophy,” which was contested by the Minister of Health in his capacity and as the head of the Health Insurance Authority.

   The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)

 

• On February 29, the Egyptian Initiative condemned the decision to renew the detention of 38 detainees in case No. 2468 of 2023 (State Security), due to their participation in protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression.
• On March 6, the Court of Cassation rejected appeal No. 21035 of 1992 in the Economic Felonies Court, submitted by Marco Georges Salib Shehata, against the judgment sentencing him to five years in prison with labor and immediate effect, on charges of contempt of religions and violation of the principles and values of Egyptian society.