Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Press Release
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The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue welcomed the decision of Ali Mukhtar, the investigating judge assigned to investigate the case known as the “Foreign Finance Case”, not to bring criminal proceedings against four NGOs, namely the United Group of Lawyers and Legal Advisers, the Egyptian Society for the Advancement of Community Participation and lawyers for Justice and Peace and the Egyptian Democratic Institute.
The decision issued on Monday, August 30, 2021, included the investigating judge removing the names of those included in the decision from the travel ban lists and to await arrival and from the lists of prohibitions from accessing of their liquid and transported assets.
This decision brings the number of organizations and entities issued by them not to bring criminal proceedings to (67) organizations and associations in which more than 180 people have been charged.
It is worth mentioning that the Criminal Court ruled in December 2018 the innocence of (40) defendants of Egyptians, Americans and various other nationalities after their retrial where the Court of Cassation had ruled to overturn the sentences handed down against the accused, which had already been issued by the court of Felonies in June 2013. Convictions against them ranging from 5 years in absentia to (27) defendants and sentencing (5) of the accused to two years imprisonment with work and (11) to one-year suspended imprisonment, as well as ruling to dissolve (5) branches of foreign organizations.
FDHRD called for the continuation of these positive steps, which highlight the importance of the role played by civil society and efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
