Press Releases

13 February 2010

Live updates from the trial of suspects in the Naga Hammadi shooting of Copts

Today, 13 February, is the first hearing in the trial of the three suspects in the shooting of Coptic Christians in Naga Hammadi last month. The trial is held before an Emergency State Security Criminal Court in the southern city of Qena.


5 January 2010

Niqab Ban in University Exams an Excessive Measure, Penalizes Students for their Beliefs

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) today regretted the ruling on 3 January by an administrative court to uphold a new decision banning students who wear the niqab, or full face veil, from sitting for exams in public universities.

13 December 2009

Proposed law on organ transplants is long awaited and its success will depend on executive bodies

‘Position paper’ by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights calls on the state to promptly pass the law and set guarantees for its implementation.

14 October 2009

Benefits gained by the new law on mental health care are at risk of being dissipated

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence today warned against the ratification of the draft Implementing Regulations (IR) for the newly passed mental health care law because it contains oversights which strip patients of their rights.

21 June 2009

Court Decision Grants Long-Awaited Custody of Twins to Christian Mother: The decision is a welcome step forward but also a missed opportunity

The decision by the Court of Cassation to grant custody to Kamilia Lotfy of her sons Mario and Andrew Ramsis after their father converted to Islam is a welcome end to her five-year legal battle, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) said today.

24 May 2009

Egypt: Presidential Decree on Emergency Medical Services Addresses Concerns of Judiciary and Civil Society Organizations

Statement by the Committee for the Defense of the Right to Health (no. 8) 

27 April 2009

Final Adoption of ‘Mental Patients Law’ is a Welcome Step

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) today welcomed the adoption by the People’s Assembly of the “Law for the Care of Mental Patients” on 26 April 2009, following six months of parliamentary debates.

25 January 2009

Qur'ani Blogger Released After 3 Months of Detention for Religious Views

Egypt's Ministry of Interior released Qur'ani blogger Reda Abdel-Rahman on 22 January after he spent 88 days in Emergency Law detention on the grounds of his religious beliefs, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) said today.

6 January 2009

Court Upholds Decision to Release Detained Qur'ani Blogge

Egypt's Supreme State Security Emergency Court today issued a final ruling ordering the release of detained Qur'ani blogger Reda Abdel-Rahman, who has been in administrative detention under the Emergency Law since October 2008 on the grounds of his religious beliefs. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) urged the Ministry of Interior to release the blogger without delay.
 

30 October 2008

EIPR Calls for Detained Qur'ani Blogger's Immediate Release

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) today called for the immediate release of Reda Abdel-Rahman, a 32-year old blogger who was detained by the Ministry of Interior on 27 October for being a "Qur'ani"*. EIPR lawyers filed a complaint yesterday calling on the Public