Press Releases

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

12 October 2008

New Lawsuit Challenges Mandatory Premarital Testing

Update: The first hearing on the case has been scheduled for 30 December 2008.

8 October 2008

Samalut's Sectarian Violence: Fighting Impunity is the Only Way to Reconciliation

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) today released the preliminary findings of its inquiry into the sectarian violence that took place in the village of Al-Tayeba, located in the Samalut district of Al-Minya Governorate, on Friday, 3 October. The violence left one dead and four injured and involved arson and the destruction of homes, land and property.

15 September 2008

A Landmark Decision Sets New Basis for the Legal Protection of the Right to Health in Egypt

The ruling by the Court of Administrative Justice (CAJ) earlier this month suspending the establishment of the Health Care Holding Company introduced significant changes to the legal framework for the protection of the right to health in Egypt, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) said today.

21 August 2008

Violations by Security Agents Threaten Violence against Copts in Beni Soueif Village

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) cautioned today about the possible outbreak of sectarian violence in the village of Deshasha, located in the district of Sumusta in the Governorate of Beni Soueif, after police used violence on Sunday, 17 August, to prevent village Copts from repairing the only church in the village.