Press Releases

9 May 2011

EIPR Update: Sectarian Clashes in Imbaba, Giza

The government will “strike hard” anyone “who compromises Egypt’s national security” Justice Minister Abdel-Aziz El-Guindy said yesterday during a press conference on Saturday’s clashes in Imbaba.

24 November 2010

EIPR Condemns Security Violence against Coptic Demonstrators... The Public Prosecutor Must Prosecute the Security Personnel Responsible for the Death of One Christian and the Injury of Dozens More in Omraniya

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) condemned today the use of excessive violence by security forces against Coptic demonstrators who were protesting the suspension of construction on a church in the Talibiya area of Giza this morning. The violence left at least one Christian demonstrator dead and dozens more injured, including some security personnel.

24 November 2010

Update| The Public Prosecutor's Office Prevents Lawyers from Attending Interrogations of Copts Accused in Omraniya Events

On the evening of Wednesday 24 November 2010, at around 8:00 pm more than 30 lawyers went to the southern Giza office of the public prosecutor to attend the questioning of those accused in the Omraniya police complaint (no.17262/2010) concerning the arrest of a number of Copts on the morning of 24 November 2010 in the area of Omraniya during events related to the construction of a church in that area.

27 October 2010

Misdemeanor Judge Orders Release of Shi’ite Suspects on LE10,000 Bail Each

The Marg misdemeanor court yesterday ordered the release on bail of five Shi’ites charged with showing contempt for religion; bail was set at LE10,000 for each suspect. State Security Investigations (SSI) had arrested several Shi’ites of various nationalities more than 35 days ago, after which the Supreme State Security Prosecutor charged them with showing contempt for the Sunni confession and other charges related to their sectarian affiliation.

14 October 2010

EIPR Calls upon the Public Prosecutor to Immediately Release all Shi’ite Suspects... The Interior Ministry’s Custodianship Over Citizens’ Beliefs and Its Interrogation of Individual Conscience Must End

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) expressed its dismay at the Egyptian government’s ongoing policy of punishing and discriminating against individuals because of their religious beliefs. Several media reports have reported in the past few days that a group of Shi’ites, both Egyptians and non-nationals, had been arrested and questioned by the Supreme State Security Prosecutor because of their religious beliefs, information confirmed by the EIPR.

11 October 2010

EIPR Launches Anti-Sectarianism Campaign in Egypt... An Appeal for Collective Action to Strengthen Citizenship and Shared Existence

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) launched a new advocacy campaign to combat sectarianism in Egypt under the slogan, "Reject Sectarianism". The organization said that the campaign is a joint movement and an appeal for collective action to eliminate sectarianism and strengthen the values of equal citizenship and shared existence in our common nation without religious or faith-based discrimination.
 

23 August 2010

State Security Court Rejects Interior Ministry Appeal of Release Order for Shi’ite Detainees

The Supreme (Emergency) State Security Court rejected yesterday an appeal filed by the Minister of Interior challenging a lower court’s order to release Mohamed Farouq Mohamed al-Sayyed, who was detained because of his affiliation with the Shi’ite confession. The Supreme Court ordered the release of the detainee and upheld an order issued on 28 July by another circuit court.

29 July 2010

State Security Court Orders Interior Ministry to Release Shi’ite Detainee... EIPR Calls for the Release of All Shi’ite Citizens, Asks Public Prosecutor to Investigate the Torture of One Detained Shi’ite

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) today called upon the Interior Ministry to immediately release Mohamed Farouq Mohamed al-Sayyed and seven other Shi’ite citizens who have been detained arbitrarily for more than a year. The call follows a decision by the Supreme (Emergency) State Security Court on 28 July overturning an administrative detention order issued against al-Sayyed, who was detained because of his affiliation with the Shi’ite confession.

25 July 2010

EIPR asks Public Prosecutor to Guarantee the Safety and Freedom of the Wife of a Deir Mawas Priest

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) expressed its dismay with official reports that the security apparatus had “turned over” Kamilia Shehata, the wife of a Coptic priest, to her family pursuant to a request from church leaders. The EIPR asked the Public Prosecutor to intervene to guarantee the 25-year-old woman’s right to physical safety and personal freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution and the law.

22 July 2010

After University President is Served with a Notice, Fayyoum University Implements Court Ruling Allowing Women Who Wear the Niqab to Take Exams

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) welcomed today the decision of the president of Fayyoum University to comply with a court ruling issued on behalf of several female students who wear the niqab, or full-face veil, in their final year at the Faculty of Education. The court ordered the university to convene a special proctoring committee to allow the students to take their exams after the university initially cancelled them because they wear the niqab.