Egypt's Solidarity Ministry puts hand on 413 NGOs due to affiliation to terror organizations

CAIRO – 18 January 2021: Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Qabaj stated Sunday that 413 NGOs that were affiliated to terror organizations have been confiscated by the ministry and are now fulfilling their mission in serving the society.

The minister added that Egypt currently has 52,000 local NGOs, and 59 foreign NGOs. The minister elaborated that the size of foreign funds granted to NGOs in Egypt in 2020 is LE2 billion. The grants came from American, French, German, and Swiss entities.

Qabaj stated that foreign funding is allowed as long as the source is known and is not suspected of involvement in terrorism, extremism, or money laundering.

A judge from the Cairo Court of Appeal announced in December the lack of any ground to file a legal claim against 20 civil society organizations, either for insufficient evidence or the absence of offense, in the case known as “foreign funding case”.

Internews Network, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Yalla Nesharek for Social Development, the Naqib Corporation for Training and Democracy Support (NCTDS), the Muslim Family Association in Damanhour and Al-Amal Charitable Society in Minya are all included in the decision.

Other NGOs included in the decision over insufficient evidence include Sahm Al-Theqa Association, the Middle East for Development and Human Rights Foundation, Hand in Hand for Egypt Association, the Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners (HRCAP), Development Resources Center, the Egyptian Center for Development and Democratic Studies and the National Center for Human Rights.

This list also includes El Sadat Association for Social Development and Welfare, Coptic Orphans Organization, the Egyptian Democratic Institute, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the Egyptian Center for Human Rights, Future Generation Association and the Maet Center for Constitutional and Legal Studies.

In a statement, Counselor Ali Mukhtar, the investigative judge delegated from the Cairo Court of Appeal to investigate the case No. 173 of 2011 announced a decision to remove the names of those who were included in the investigations from the travel ban lists.

The decision also orders removing their names from lists of those banned from disposing of their money, in the “foreign funding case” only.

This means that if any of these persons are under similar investigations in another case, they may not be able to be included in this decision.