Egyptian Judges’ Club refutes ‘groundless allegations’ about human rights

CAIRO – 14 March 2021: Egypt’s Judges' Club refuted the groundless allegations of a joint statement issued by several member states of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about the human rights situation in Egypt, Club head Judge Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen said in a statement on Sunday.

 

“Such allegations contradict with the guarantees of the independence of the judiciary” in Egypt, the club said, adding “[It is] an unacceptable interference in the work of Egypt’s lofty and independent judiciary.”

 

“The Board of Directors of the Judges Club refutes in its urgent statement the allegations that were included in the[joint] statement in this regard,” the club said, continuing that Egypt did not place restrictions on freedom of expression, press, journalists, and did not block media websites.

 

The constitution guaranteed freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with Article 65, and Laws No. 178, 179 and 180 of 2018, which is regulating the press, the Supreme Council for Media, the National Media Authority, and the National Press Authority.

 

“The Egyptian judiciary is well aware of the difference between what is considered freedom of opinion and expression and what is considered an infringement of societal values and a violation of the traditions of the Egyptian society,” the club said.

 

“Human rights are protected and guaranteed by the constitution and the law that remain in effect without delay in light of the implementation of the anti-terrorism law,” the statement read.

 

Two days ago, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its total rejection of the joint statement, saying “such statement contained conversations based on inaccurate information.”

 

“It was extremely strange that the facts and information misused to these countries about the human rights situation in Egypt,” the statement read.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for reviewing such rejected speech, asking these countries “to stop making accusations that only express an unpalatable political orientation that includes fallacies without evidence.”

 

Egypt also affirms that this unacceptable statement does not take into account Egypt’s considerable efforts in human rights field in all its political, economic and social aspects over the past years, the Foreign Ministry continued.

 

Egypt’s mission in Geneva is scheduled to deliver a statement at the Human Rights Council on the deficiencies and anti-human rights practices in countries that signed the joint statement.

 

“No country [worldwide] has reached the point of perfection [regarding the human rights]. No country can consider itself as an evaluator or arbiter in this regard,” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry continued.

 

At a session of UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on Friday, 31 countries and a number of NGOs signed a joint statement on the human rights in Egypt.