Case Dropped Against Four Human Rights Defenders and their NGOs
On 30 August, the Investigative Judge authorised by the Cairo Court of Appeal to investigate case no.173 of 2011 (known as the foreign funding case) has decided to drop the case against human rights defenders Azza Soliman, Negad El Borei, Magdi Abdel Hameed and Hossameldin Ali and their human rights NGOs.
On 30 August, the Investigative Judge authorised by the Cairo Court of Appeal to investigate case no.173 of 2011 (known as the foreign funding case) has decided to drop the case against human rights defenders Azza Soliman, Negad El Borei, Magdi Abdel Hameed and Hossameldin Ali and their human rights NGOs.
On 20 May 2018, the investigative judge in case 173 (known as the NGO Foreign Funding Case) ordered the release of Hossameldin Ali on bail with a 20,000 Egyptian pound guarantee.
On 27 February 2016, Egyptian authorities prevented human rights defender Mr Hossameldin Ali from travelling to the United States, and they informed him that he had been placed under a travel ban.
Hossameldin Ali is a human rights defender and president of the Egyptian Democratic Academy, a non-profit organisation established by a group of activists working to promote democracy, human rights and political participation in Egypt.
On 30 August, the Investigative Judge authorised by the Cairo Court of Appeal to investigate case no.173 of 2011 (known as the foreign funding case) has decided to drop the case against human rights defenders Azza Soliman, Negad El Borei, Magdi Abdel Hameed and Hossameldin Ali and their human rights NGOs. The decision ensures the aquittal of the human rights defenders from all charges. However, there are legal procedures still need to be taken to remove their names from the travel ban lists and lift the assets freeze for their personal and institutional assets.
UPDATE: On 20 May 2018, the investigative judge in case 173 (known as the NGO Foreign Funding Case) ordered the release of Hossameldin Ali on bail with a 20,000 Egyptian pound guarantee.
On 27 February 2016, Egyptian authorities prevented human rights defender Mr Hossameldin Ali from travelling to the United States, and they informed him that he had been placed under a travel ban.
The human rights defender was informed that he was placed under a travel ban upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport. He was travelling to attend an international conference on combating corruption through legislation, which had been organised by the US State Department. Having been informed that he would not be permitted to travel, he was subjected to interrogation by a National Security Officer during a three-hour-long phone call. During the interrogation, Hossameldin Ali was questioned about the Egyptian Democratic Academy and foreign funding, the activities of the organisation, his role on its Board of Directors, details and reasons for his trip to the US, and information on the people he was planning to meet during his travels.
Hossameldin Ali was previously banned from traveling in December 2014, in connection with an ongoing judicial investigation into foreign funding received by human rights organisations in Egypt, which was initiated in 2011. The refusal to allow Hossameldin Ali to fly is the latest in a series of travel bans imposed on human rights defenders in Egypt, including against Ms Esraa Abdel Fattah, and Messrs Ahmed Ghonim and Bassem Samir, both of whom are also members of the Egyptian Democratic Academy.
