{"id":16555,"date":"2025-03-29T14:21:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T12:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/?p=16555"},"modified":"2026-10-30T00:07:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T22:07:04","slug":"deleted-lines-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/deleted-lines-5\/","title":{"rendered":"300 Calories of Hope, and Repression across Borders"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"z3-read z3-policy z3-newsletter\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<section class=\"z3r-intro\">\n<p class=\"z3r-lead\">300 calories of hope, and repression across borders<\/p>\n<p class=\"z3p-meta\">Deleted Lines | Issue 5 | March 2025<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<nav class=\"z3p-toc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter contents\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">In this issue<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#opening\">Opening<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-01\">1. Refugees\u2019 and migrants\u2019 rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-02\">2. Civil society, accountability and transnational repression<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-03\">3. Workers\u2019 rights, trade union freedoms and occupational safety<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-04\">4. Personal liberty and prison conditions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-05\">5. Health and economic and social protection<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-06\">6. Access to courts and justice<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-07\">7. Environment and natural resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section-08\">8. Women\u2019s rights, equality and protection from violence<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<section id=\"opening\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">Opening<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>300 calories of hope, and repression across borders<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mother of jailed Egyptian dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah decided to convert her total hunger strike into a &#8220;partial&#8221; one, after Soueif&#8217;s health deteriorated during the fifth consecutive month of her total hunger strike, and after she pointed to &#8220;developments that gave her hope&#8221; regarding the release of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah, according to what her daughter Sanaa Seif stated on her Facebook account on Tuesday 4 March.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seif said on her page that her mother, Laila Soueif (68), had responded &#8220;to all our appeals and converted the strike into a partial one&#8221;. She added that her mother told the doctor following her case at a hospital in the British capital, London: &#8220;Developments have happened that gave me hope, and I wish to convert the strike into a partial one, which allows me to take 300 liquid calories and not food.&#8221; Soueif began a total hunger strike on 30 September last year, in protest at the continued detention of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah, despite the expiry of the sentence handed down to him on 28 September last year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fifty writers, media figures and human rights defenders launched an urgent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eipr.org\/press\/2025\/03\/%D8%AE%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%8B%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%8B%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8B%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%81%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AD\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">appeal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for a presidential pardon for Alaa Abdel Fattah, in accordance with Article 155 of the Egyptian Constitution, which states: &#8220;The President of the Republic may, after taking the opinion of the Cabinet, pardon or commute a sentence. General amnesty may only be granted by a law, approved by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10723\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0639\u0644\u0627\u0621-\u0639\u0628\u062f-\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u0627\u062d-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0639\u0644\u0627\u0621-\u0639\u0628\u062f-\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u0627\u062d-1.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0639\u0644\u0627\u0621-\u0639\u0628\u062f-\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u0627\u062d-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0639\u0644\u0627\u0621-\u0639\u0628\u062f-\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u0627\u062d-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0639\u0644\u0627\u0621-\u0639\u0628\u062f-\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u0627\u062d-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MP Freddy El-Bayadi also submitted an urgent briefing request addressed to the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Justice and Interior regarding the continued detention of Abdel Fattah, despite the absence of any other sentences against him or of his referral to new cases, considering that his continued detention is a flagrant violation of Article 54 of the Constitution and Article 480 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He demanded clarification of the reasons for not releasing Abdel Fattah and a review of similar cases subjected to unlawful detention, stressing the need to respect the Constitution and the law and to protect citizens&#8217; fundamental rights, in his request entitled &#8220;For the release of Alaa Abdel Fattah and the prisoners whose terms have ended&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his request, El-Bayadi also drew attention to the critical health condition of Alaa&#8217;s mother, Laila Soueif, after she passed the 150-day mark of her strike, warning of the danger that his continued detention poses to her life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laila Soueif, 68, has lost nearly 30 kilograms since beginning her hunger strike last September. She was taken to St Thomas&#8217; Hospital in Britain in late February after her blood sugar and blood pressure dropped dangerously, according to what her daughter Mona Seif stated on the X platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Recommended reading: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/freddy-elbaiady\/\"><b>MP Freddy El-Bayadi: Egypt Faces a Historic Debt Disaster. Where Did the Loans Go?<\/b><\/a><b> (interview)<\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-01\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>1. Refugees\u2019 and migrants\u2019 rights<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Refugee Issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10878\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0647\u062c\u0631\u0629-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0647\u062c\u0631\u0629-1.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0647\u062c\u0631\u0629-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0647\u062c\u0631\u0629-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u0647\u062c\u0631\u0629-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fourth annual report of the &#8220;From Sea to Prison&#8221; project, a joint campaigning project of the organisations Arci Porco Rosso and borderline-europe since 2021 \u2013 which monitors developments in the criminalisation of so-called &#8220;smugglers&#8221; in Italy and provides social and legal support to criminalised people \u2013 revealed that 106 arrests had been recorded of migrants accused of facilitating &#8220;illegal immigration&#8221;, especially after their arrival by sea, showing that holders of Egyptian nationality made up 35% of the boat drivers arrested in Italy and Tunisians (16%), while (17%) of those arrested held the nationalities of Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, (10%) of those arrested belonged to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, (12%) came from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and others made up (10%).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report said that, as in previous years, Italy in 2024 criminalised Egyptian migrants more than any other nationality. At least 37 Egyptian nationals were arrested, more than a third of the total. The second most criminalised nationality was Tunisian. Based on official data on the number of arrivals, nearly 1 in every 100 Egyptians arriving in Italy by sea was criminalised, while the figure for Tunisians was 1 in every 200. Overall, one person in every 600 of those arriving by sea was arrested, a slightly higher rate than in 2023 (when we counted the arrest of one person for every 800 arrivals), noting that 2024 saw many cases of criminalisation of minors among boat drivers in which verifying the defendant&#8217;s age became central to the criminal proceedings, and that only one of these trials took place in a juvenile court: the trial of Ahmed, a 17-year-old Egyptian who was arrested in July 2023 and tried in Palermo on a charge under Article 12 bis (the new offence introduced by the Meloni government), while the two other young men are being tried as adults.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3>\n<b><br \/>\nItaly Returns 43 Migrants from the Albania Camps After a Court Ruling Annuls Their Detention<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nThe Italian authorities returned 43 migrants to the coastal city of Bari, after the Rome Court of Appeal issued a ruling annulling their detention in the camps in Albania, which Italy runs under the bilateral agreement concluded with the Tirana government to process asylum applications outside its borders.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the &#8220;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ewfrf.org\/ar\/2025\/03\/16\/5084\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">East West<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; website, which specialises in migration issues, the returned migrants will stay at a local shelter centre in the Palese Cara area, having been received at the port of Puglia by security forces, health staff and activists from the &#8220;Arci&#8221; association, which was among the most prominent opponents of the project for the rapid processing of asylum applications in detention camps on Albanian territory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These migrants belong to a group of 49 people, most of them from Egypt and Bangladesh, whose boat was intercepted south of the island of Lampedusa and who were transferred aboard an Italian navy ship to Albania, as part of the third phase of the deportation operations that began under the Italian\u2013Albanian agreement signed in November 2023. Of the 49, 6 had previously been returned to Italy, either because they were minors or because they were classified among the vulnerable groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court indicated in its decision that it had referred the case to the European Court of Justice in order to determine the criteria under which countries of origin are classified as &#8220;safe&#8221; areas. This measure represents a new development that obstructs the Italian government&#8217;s implementation of its list of 19 countries classified as safe areas, which includes Egypt and Bangladesh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This ruling represents the third judicial decision issued against the agreement to transfer migrants to Albania, as the Rome court had previously issued two similar rulings in October and November 2024, in which it considered that the deportation procedures violate EU asylum rules, and referred the cases to the European Court of Justice, which had ruled last October that asylum seekers may not be subjected to accelerated procedures leading to their return to their countries unless those countries are fully proven to be safe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ewfrf.org\/ar\/2025\/03\/16\/5084\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the latest ruling came to reaffirm the illegality of the transfers, despite the Italian government&#8217;s attempt to curtail the powers of the ordinary courts and transfer migration cases to the Court of Appeal. But the Rome court insisted that the deportation procedures to Albania violate the legal guarantees of asylum seekers.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giorgia Meloni&#8217;s right-wing government insists on continuing to implement the agreement with Albania, considering it part of a wider plan to establish regional reception centres outside the borders of the European Union, backed by some of Brussels&#8217; partners. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, these centres aim to process about 3,000 asylum applications per month.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had described the Italian\u2013Albanian agreement as a &#8220;model to be followed&#8221; by the rest of the EU countries in managing the migration file outside borders.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-02\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">2<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>2. Civil society, accountability and transnational repression<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>The National Council for Human Rights Meets Rights Defenders After Its Downgrade<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Council organised a round table on &#8220;the challenges facing the work of civil society organisations and human rights activists&#8221; on 9 March at a hotel in downtown Cairo, with the in-person attendance of a number of human rights defenders based in Egypt and the remote participation of the most prominent Egyptian human rights defenders abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking part in the round table were human rights defenders Hossam Bahgat, Dalia Zakhary, Mervat Abou Teeg, Ahmed Ragheb, Mohamed El-Baqer, Mohamed Lotfy, Sherif Azer, Mohamed Abdel Salam and Mohamed Abdel Aziz, alongside researcher Abdel Nasser Qandil, while human rights defenders Mozn Hassan, Ahmed Mefreh, Mohamed Zaree, Moataz El-Fegiery and Ahmed Samih attended remotely. The sessions were moderated by human rights defender Magdy Abdel Hamid, executive director of the joint project between the Council and the European Union Delegation in Cairo.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) had issued, late last year, a recommendation to downgrade the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights to category (B), a classification that reflects the Council&#8217;s non-compliance with international standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>UN Concern over Transnational Repression<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12191\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0646\u0633\u062e\u0629-\u0645\u0646-\u0633\u0637\u0648\u0631-\u0645\u062d\u0630\u0648\u0641\u0629-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0646\u0633\u062e\u0629-\u0645\u0646-\u0633\u0637\u0648\u0631-\u0645\u062d\u0630\u0648\u0641\u0629-1.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0646\u0633\u062e\u0629-\u0645\u0646-\u0633\u0637\u0648\u0631-\u0645\u062d\u0630\u0648\u0641\u0629-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0646\u0633\u062e\u0629-\u0645\u0646-\u0633\u0637\u0648\u0631-\u0645\u062d\u0630\u0648\u0641\u0629-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0646\u0633\u062e\u0629-\u0645\u0646-\u0633\u0637\u0648\u0631-\u0645\u062d\u0630\u0648\u0641\u0629-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Five UN rapporteurs sent a letter to the Egyptian government in which they expressed their concern about what they described as the &#8220;harassment and transnational repression&#8221; faced by journalist <\/span><b>Basma Mostafa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Germany, Switzerland and other countries, &#8220;by individuals allegedly employed by the Egyptian authorities or acting on their behalf or with their consent&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The harassment faced by the Egyptian journalist included, according to the letter, &#8220;physical assaults, intimidation, surveillance and attempted cyberattacks&#8221;, which the rapporteurs considered &#8220;a continuation of systematic patterns of targeting women human rights defenders in Egypt&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rapporteurs said they had previously sent communications regarding violations against Egyptian journalists or human rights defenders abroad in 2024, 2023 and 2022, and had asked the government to provide clarifications regarding the accusation that it &#8220;follows a broad pattern of violations against women human rights defenders over the past decade&#8221;, but the Egyptian government did not respond to any of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In statements to Zawia3, <\/span><b>Basma Mostafa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stresses that these practices are part of a systematic repressive policy targeting journalists and human rights defenders, especially those who document violations in Egypt. Basma currently works as programme director at the Democratic Law Support Foundation in Berlin, where she oversees the documentation of patterns of transnational repression practised by the Egyptian authorities against their opponents abroad, through smear campaigns, arrests, the pursuit of their relatives and denial of consular services.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basma has faced arrest three times because of her journalistic work, most recently in October 2020, when she disappeared for 24 hours before being brought before the State Security Prosecution and charged with &#8220;belonging to a terrorist group&#8221; and &#8220;spreading false news&#8221;. After her release under international pressure, she was subjected to security surveillance and pressure that pushed her to leave Egypt within just one month. She moved between Lebanon and Kenya, where she faced security interrogations and suspicious harassment, before finally settling in Berlin as part of a fellowship for human rights defenders. Despite the difficulties of adapting to a new life in exile, Basma stresses that she continues her work exposing violations against Egyptian journalists and activists, despite the threats and risks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Recommended reading: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/khaled-elbalshy\/\"><b>Khaled El-Balshy Speaks to Zawia3: We Will Not Accept Laws That Restrict the Journalist&#8217;s Freedom in the Street<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-03\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">3<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>3. Workers\u2019 rights, trade union freedoms and occupational safety<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Egypt at the Lowest Rating of the 2024 Trade Union Freedoms Index<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12161\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062d\u0631\u064a\u0627\u062a-\u0646\u0642\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0629-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1472\" height=\"832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062d\u0631\u064a\u0627\u062a-\u0646\u0642\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0629-1.png 1472w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062d\u0631\u064a\u0627\u062a-\u0646\u0642\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0629-1-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062d\u0631\u064a\u0627\u062a-\u0646\u0642\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0629-1-1024x579.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062d\u0631\u064a\u0627\u062a-\u0646\u0642\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0629-1-768x434.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1472px) 100vw, 1472px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Egypt received a &#8220;rating of 5&#8221; on the 2024 Trade Union Freedoms Index issued by the Arab Trade Union Confederation. The report, entitled &#8220;No Guarantee of Rights&#8221;, recorded 18 violations of the international agreements Egypt has signed on trade union freedoms and fair labour relations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Arab Trade Union Confederation is part of the International Trade Union Confederation and annually issues the Trade Union Freedoms Index, which consists of five ratings, from (1), the best, to (5), the worst. It assesses the performance of countries in terms of their commitment to international standards of trade union freedoms and fair labour relations.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report stated that while &#8220;the Trade Unions Law (No. 213 of 2017) allows the right to form trade union organisations and the freedom to practise trade union activity, and prohibits any discrimination in this, practice reflects otherwise&#8221;, explaining that &#8220;there are judicial rulings and documents that include the illegality of establishing independent unions for workers in various sectors, and there are restrictions on establishing these unions&#8221;, and also that &#8220;among the recurring forms of restriction on trade union work is the authorities&#8217; imposition of excessive and illogical requirements on the registration of the independent unions that were dissolved in 2018&#8221;, noting that 11 union committees are still awaiting registration. Regarding labour relations, the index recorded violations relating to discrimination between workers, whether by depriving some categories of them of legislative cover by excluding them from the labour law, such as domestic workers, or by discriminating against women through unequal wages with men.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report also criticised the high rate of child labour, which reached &#8220;9.3%: out of 17.1 million children, about 1.59 million children aged between 5 and 17 work, 21.0% of them girls, and nearly half of these children work in hazardous jobs, most of them working in the family without pay&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regarding fair labour relations, the report documented multiple cases of discrimination between categories of workers, most prominently the deprivation of domestic workers of legal cover by excluding them from the labour law, as well as discrimination between women and men in wages despite equal jobs and responsibilities, which constitutes a breach of international labour rights standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journalist Hisham Fouad, who specialises in labour affairs, had told Zawia3 in statements that the government claimed to have organised a broad social dialogue on the new labour bill, but limited it to involving independent trade unionists ideologically aligned with it, while the genuine independent unions, civil society organisations and professional syndicates were completely ignored, noting that the head of the Journalists Syndicate repeatedly tried to contact the Ministry of Labour to attend the dialogue sessions without receiving positive responses, and adding that although the Egyptian government passed a set of legislative reforms such as the Trade Union Organisations Law (No. 213 of 2017), which were mainly aimed at removing Egypt&#8217;s name from the International Labour Organization&#8217;s blacklist and obtaining conditional aid from the European Union, those reforms remained formal and were not actually applied on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/right-to-strike\/\"><b>Restricting Workers&#8217; Rights Places Egypt Among the Worst Countries for Trade Union Freedoms<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>The Labour Bill Stirs Controversy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12082\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062f\u0648\u0646-\u0639\u0646\u0648\u0627\u0646-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062f\u0648\u0646-\u0639\u0646\u0648\u0627\u0646-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062f\u0648\u0646-\u0639\u0646\u0648\u0627\u0646-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062f\u0648\u0646-\u0639\u0646\u0648\u0627\u0646-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u062f\u0648\u0646-\u0639\u0646\u0648\u0627\u0646-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The parliamentary group secretariat and the experts&#8217; secretariat of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party organised a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/1V8pYxhPZs\/?mibextid=WC7FNe\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">workshop<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to discuss the amendments to the labour law, with the aim of formulating a unified position on the bill and proposing the necessary amendments. The workshop focused on striking a balance between supporting investment and providing a fair working environment that preserves workers&#8217; rights in the various economic sectors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The discussions produced substantive amending proposals for a number of articles, covering issues such as job security, the minimum wage, the regulation of labour recruitment through employment companies, and the rights of domestic workers. These amendments aim to ensure a more balanced employment relationship, suited to the current economic and social changes.\u00a0 <\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For its part, the House of Representatives <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/15svuzBzFQ\/?mibextid=WC7FNe\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">approved<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the labour bill as a whole, after an extensive discussion of the report of the joint committee of the Manpower Committee and the bureaus of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and the Plan and Budget Committee. The discussions included amending a number of articles to ensure a balance between the rights of workers and employers, taking into account economic and social developments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Counsellor Mahmoud Fawzi, Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs and Political Communication, explained that the law reflects the changes in the labour market and provides a stable environment that encourages investment without prejudice to workers&#8217; rights. He also pointed out that the government will reopen deliberation on some articles to ensure greater conformity with international standards. At the end of the session, it was decided to postpone the final vote to an upcoming session.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new labour <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/qurium\/zawia3.com\/new-labor-law.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bill<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has stirred wide controversy in political, human rights and labour circles. This comes as it contains legal provisions that some considered contrary to international standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The law aims to regulate the conditions of private sector workers, who represent more than 80% of the country&#8217;s total labour force and are estimated at about 24,167,000 people. They are divided into 37.6% working inside establishments and 44.7% working outside them, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics. Despite the law&#8217;s importance in addressing working conditions, it has been criticised for the lack of a comprehensive societal dialogue, which prompted the Center for Trade Union and Workers&#8217; Services to launch an online document collecting signatures demanding hearings to ensure the representation of all concerned parties, but the Manpower Committee confined itself to the participation of government representatives without inviting the independent unions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The House of Representatives&#8217; discussions included introducing definitions of the terms &#8220;bullying&#8221; and &#8220;harassment&#8221; in the work environment, with harassment defined as any act or behaviour with sexual or pornographic connotations, whether by gesture, word or deed or through electronic means, while bullying was defined as any behaviour aimed at intimidating, controlling or ridiculing a person. The discussions also addressed the rights of working women, including leave related to pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as the regulation of foreigners&#8217; work in Egypt, as the &#8220;reciprocity&#8221; condition was deleted from Article 69 to facilitate their work procedures. In addition, amendments were approved to strengthen the protection of irregular workers through a special fund that pays their social insurance contributions, and modern work patterns such as remote work and digital platforms were officially recognised, which reflects new trends in the Egyptian labour market.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Unsafe Working Environments<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The industrial sector in Egypt suffers from major problems related to non-compliance with occupational safety and health standards and the deterioration of working environments, which exposes workers to health risks and repeated accidents; the latest of these accidents was the death of three workers at a spinning and weaving factory in Mahalla El-Kubra as a result of a boiler explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following this incident, the Center for Trade Union and Workers&#8217; Services called on all the bodies responsible for occupational safety and health to review the procedures for inspecting industrial facilities and to activate them strictly, and to hold accountable those responsible for the negligence and laxity that have led to hundreds of injuries and deaths recently.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the wake of the incident, MP Evelyn Matta Boutros, a member of the Industry Committee of the House of Representatives, submitted a briefing request addressed to the Minister of Public Business Sector, the head of the Holding Company for Spinning and Weaving and the factory&#8217;s executive director, regarding the negligence in monitoring the boilers at the Mahalla El-Kubra spinning and weaving factory, which caused the deaths of three workers, one after another. She demanded that the briefing request be referred to the Industry Committee of the House of Representatives jointly with the House&#8217;s Human Rights Committee, to take the necessary action on it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/labor\/\"><b>Workers&#8217; Safety in Egypt: Between the Absence of Oversight and Recurring Deadly Accidents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Release of 39 &#8220;Agricultural Greenhouses&#8221; Workers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On 22 March, the 10th of Ramadan Summary Court decided to release 39 male and female workers of the National Company for Protected Agriculture, &#8220;the Greenhouses&#8221;, affiliated with the Armed Forces&#8217; National Service Projects Organisation, on bail of EGP 3,000 each, in case No. 484 of 2025, Third 10th of Ramadan Police Station misdemeanours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Security forces arrested the male and female workers on 4 March, after breaking up their sit-in inside the company&#8217;s headquarters, where they were demanding some financial dues owed to them on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, and the next day the Third 10th of Ramadan Police Station Prosecution ordered them detained for four days pending investigations on charges of &#8220;assembly, disrupting production and resisting the authorities&#8221;, and their detention continued until the summary judge at the &#8220;10th of Ramadan&#8221; court ordered their release on 22 March.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-04\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">4<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>4. Personal liberty and prison conditions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Amnesty International Calls for an End to Abuses Against Detainees at 10th of Ramadan Prison<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11864\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/\u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f-\u0635\u0644\u0627\u062d-\u0648\u0639\u0645\u0631-\u0645\u0631\u0645\u0648\u0634-.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1472\" height=\"832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/\u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f-\u0635\u0644\u0627\u062d-\u0648\u0639\u0645\u0631-\u0645\u0631\u0645\u0648\u0634-.png 1472w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/\u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f-\u0635\u0644\u0627\u062d-\u0648\u0639\u0645\u0631-\u0645\u0631\u0645\u0648\u0634--300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/\u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f-\u0635\u0644\u0627\u062d-\u0648\u0639\u0645\u0631-\u0645\u0631\u0645\u0648\u0634--1024x579.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/\u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f-\u0635\u0644\u0627\u062d-\u0648\u0639\u0645\u0631-\u0645\u0631\u0645\u0648\u0634--768x434.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1472px) 100vw, 1472px\" \/><br \/>\nAmnesty International called on the Egyptian authorities to put an end to what it described as reprisals directed against prisoners in 10th of Ramadan Prison, who began a hunger strike in protest at their arbitrary detention and to demand an end to their cruel and inhuman conditions of detention, according to the organisation.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Amnesty stated in its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/ar\/latest\/news\/2025\/03\/egypt-detainees-punished-for-protesting-their-detention-in-cruel-conditions\/?\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that it had observed that, since the beginning of last January, a number of detainees in 10th of Ramadan Prison (6) had begun a hunger strike. It called for their release after their pretrial detention had continued for more than six months, for them to be able to exercise the right to outdoor exercise and to enjoy full visiting rights, and for the dismissal of the National Security officer in charge of the prison, who is known for his repression and abuses. Following this, the Prisons Authority transferred at least three prisoners from 10th of Ramadan Prison (6) to other prisons notorious for their harsh conditions of detention, after confiscating their personal belongings as punishment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>14 People Released, Among Them Blogger Suzy El-Ordonia<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On 9 March, the Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to release 14 people pending case No. 1516 of 2022, including the content creator known as Suzy El-Ordonia (19), after she had been detained for four days pending investigation in case 925 of 2025 on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news. Suzy was arrested and detained pending investigations into the complaint filed against her by a company that accuses her of insulting it on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Abdel Khalek Farouk&#8217;s Detention Renewed Despite His Deteriorating Health<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On 12 March, the Second Terrorism Circuit of the Criminal Court decided to renew the detention of economist Abdel Khalek Farouk for 45 days. This comes in case No. 4937 of 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During his session, the economist complained that he was not adequately exposed to the sun, which threatens his health, and that his life is in danger because of the illnesses he suffers from. He explained during the session that there is no adequate health care and that the cell is locked on them for 23 hours a day, which negatively affects his psychological state. The administration of 10th of Ramadan Prison had transferred the economist, for the second time, to a hospital inside 10th of Ramadan Prison because he suffered a heart attack, as a narrowing of the coronary artery is suspected, and this is the second time for him since his arrest 4 months ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0It is worth noting that security forces arrested economist Abdel Khalek Farouk at his home on 21 October last year. Farouk faces serious charges, including joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and misusing social media, after he published a series of articles critical of the economic policies pursued by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>State Security Prosecution Releases 3 Defendants in a Single Case<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State Security Prosecution decided, at its session held on 6 March, to release 3 defendants in a single case, namely case No. 5919 of 2024 Supreme State Security investigation. The three defendants faced charges of spreading false news and joining a terrorist group.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human rights lawyer Mamdouh Gamal believes that there is outwardly a trend towards releasing detainees, but the reality on the ground indicates that this trend is still very weak and does not live up to the aspirations of the detainees&#8217; families, who endure great hardship waiting for the return of their sons and relatives. The continuation of this situation further complicates matters, as it contributes to spreading frustration and despair among the detainees. This situation pushed Dr Laila Soueif to resort to a hunger strike as a means of making her voice heard by officials, demanding Alaa&#8217;s release.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-05\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">5<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>5. Health and economic and social protection<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>The Right to Health<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12140\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0636\u0644\u0627\u062a.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1472\" height=\"832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0636\u0644\u0627\u062a.png 1472w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0636\u0644\u0627\u062a-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0636\u0644\u0627\u062a-1024x579.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0636\u0644\u0627\u062a-768x434.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1472px) 100vw, 1472px\" \/><br \/>\nMuscular dystrophy patients in Egypt have recently been facing a crisis related to the unavailability of medicines and their sharply rising prices, in light of the drug shortage crisis in the Egyptian market resulting from the rise in the dollar exchange rate; in addition, the patients suffer, as they tell Zawia3, from a shortage of the medical services provided to them and the unavailability of the medical specialties that treat the disease in government hospitals, despite repeated initiatives and promises over past years to provide medical and therapeutic services for them, as well as the Health Insurance Organisation&#8217;s failure to implement binding court rulings to treat patients with &#8220;Duchenne&#8221; dystrophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zawia3 contacted a number of muscular dystrophy patients and patients&#8217; families in Egypt, who revealed that they had obtained court rulings years ago for their children to receive lifelong free treatment from the Health Insurance Organisation, but the decisions have not been implemented to this moment because of the Health Insurance Organisation&#8217;s intransigence with them. According to an administrative source inside the Health Insurance Organisation, the matter relates to the unavailability of sufficient financial resources to provide the medicines from abroad; this type of medicine costs the state huge sums, as he described it, while no budget is available for this initiative at present, so the Ministry of Health is not committed to dispensing the medicines prescribed for patients, noting that the medicine crisis does not appear to have a near solution because of the worsening dollar crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June 2021, the Ministry of Health announced an initiative to provide treatment for muscular dystrophy patients under a presidential initiative to treat them, and at the time the ministry said it had allocated 24 medical centres to receive people with muscular dystrophy and to provide medical services by making gene therapy available to affected children through the health insurance and comprehensive insurance programmes; in addition, in July of the same year, the ministry signed a cooperation protocol with the company &#8220;Biologix&#8221; to provide treatment for children with muscular dystrophy over the age of two.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/muscle-atrophy\/\"><b>Muscular Dystrophy: Patients Face Death and the Government Is Out of Service<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Economic and Social Rights<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12126\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0641\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0639\u0645.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1472\" height=\"832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0641\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0639\u0645.png 1472w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0641\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0639\u0645-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0641\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0639\u0645-1024x579.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0641\u0639-\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0639\u0645-768x434.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1472px) 100vw, 1472px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Egyptians are awaiting new increases in fuel prices as the government returns to completing the measures to reduce fuel subsidies by the end of this March, which Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly confirmed during the press conference held by the Cabinet on Wednesday 12 March at the Cabinet headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to close the file of lifting subsidies on fuel and energy prices by the end of this year, with the subsidy removal being gradual, leading to the complete elimination of subsidies by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister explained in his speech that there will be cross-subsidisation between products and that the butane gas cylinder will remain subsidised.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This step comes within the framework of Egypt&#8217;s commitments to the International Monetary Fund, which in its latest review stipulated the restructuring of subsidies to ensure the efficient allocation of financial resources. The IMF Executive Board had approved, on 11 March, the disbursement of the fourth tranche of Egypt&#8217;s loan, worth $1.2 billion, and also approved the authorities&#8217; request for additional financing worth $1.3 billion from the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, to be disbursed in tranches rather than as a single tranche.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/fuel-2\/\"><b>Fuel Without Subsidies: Egyptians Face a New Wave of Price Rises<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Recommended reading: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/ramadan-2\/\"><b>Rising Prices Devour Pensions: How Do Retirees Hold Out in Ramadan?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-06\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">6<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>6. Access to courts and justice<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b><br \/>\nLitigation Fees Raised<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12104\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0633\u0648\u0645-\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0642\u0627\u0636\u064a.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0633\u0648\u0645-\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0642\u0627\u0636\u064a.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0633\u0648\u0645-\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0642\u0627\u0636\u064a-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0633\u0648\u0645-\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0642\u0627\u0636\u064a-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0633\u0648\u0645-\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0642\u0627\u0636\u064a-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><br \/>\nThe decision of Counsellor Mohamed Nasr Sayed, President of the Cairo Court of Appeal, issued on 20 February and providing for an increase in litigation fees, automated services and all court fees, which has actually been applied since 1 March, has sparked a wave of resentment in Egypt&#8217;s legal community, as lawyers and trade unionists considered that these increases contradict the Egyptian Constitution and the laws in force, as well as the international charters and treaties that oblige Egypt to guarantee citizens&#8217; right of access to justice at a reasonable cost.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The legal dispute over the increase in litigation fees reached the courts, as a number of lawyers filed a direct misdemeanour lawsuit against Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Justice Counsellor Adnan Fangary, along with the court presidents who issued the recent increase decisions, charging them with &#8220;treachery&#8221; under Article (114) of the Egyptian Penal Code. This article specifically states: &#8220;Any public official involved in the collection of taxes, fees, dues, fines or the like who demands or takes what is not due, or what exceeds what is due, knowing this, shall be punished with temporary hard labour or imprisonment&#8221;, which is what the lawyers relied on in their lawsuit, considering that imposing the new increases in court fees constitutes the collection of sums of money exceeding the legal and constitutional limits due.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decision caused a crisis between lawyers and judges, prompting the Bar Association to announce a halt to dealings with court treasuries and to threaten a comprehensive boycott of the courts in protest at these increases, considering that such decisions could in practice turn the judiciary in Egypt into a service available only to the rich, while the poor and those on limited incomes are deprived of a fundamental right, namely litigation and access to justice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zawia3 obtained the full list of judicial and automated services affected by the fee increases, which number 38 services. The list included basic judicial services, among them affixing the executory formula to rulings (for family, labour and general affairs), the appeal petition upon registration, the petition for renewal after striking off, the petition for expediting after suspension and cassation, correcting the form of the appeal, joining parties, notification and renewal after striking off, and re-notification.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/litigation-fees\/\"><b>Litigation Fees Raised in Egypt: A Lawsuit Accuses the Government of &#8220;Treachery&#8221;<\/b><\/a><b><\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-07\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">7<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>7. Environment and natural resources<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Complaint to the Public Prosecutor over Encroachments on Hankorab<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u200e<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12096\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0623\u0633-\u062d\u0646\u0643\u0648\u0631\u0627\u0628.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0623\u0633-\u062d\u0646\u0643\u0648\u0631\u0627\u0628.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0623\u0633-\u062d\u0646\u0643\u0648\u0631\u0627\u0628-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0623\u0633-\u062d\u0646\u0643\u0648\u0631\u0627\u0628-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0631\u0623\u0633-\u062d\u0646\u0643\u0648\u0631\u0627\u0628-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><br \/>\nOn 22 March 2025, the lawyer of the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights submitted a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ecesr.org\/%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%BA-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A7\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">complaint<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Mohamed Shawky Ayyad, registered as No. 21625 of 2025 Public Prosecutor petitions, calling for an investigation into what has been raised about ongoing encroachments on the Ras Hankorab area, located within the boundaries of the Wadi El-Gemal Protectorate, which is considered an invaluable environmental and natural treasure.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharm El-Luli beach (Ras Hankorab), located within the geographical boundaries of the Wadi El-Gemal Protectorate, 55 kilometres from the city of Marsa Alam in the south of the Red Sea, is witnessing excavation and construction works that have caused widespread resentment and concern among those involved in environmental protection. These works are being carried out by heavy equipment belonging to the &#8220;Impact for Tourism Investment&#8221; company, owned by businessman Hassan Wahdan, brother of MP Soliman Wahdan, one of the founders of the new Front Party, which is close to the authorities. The project includes building a hotel, chalets, restaurants and various tourist facilities such as changing rooms and toilets, as well as a diving centre, which environmental experts and activists considered a clear violation of Natural Protectorates Law No. 102 of 1983, amid serious fears that the environmental and biological diversity of the area, which is ranked nineteenth globally among the world&#8217;s most beautiful beaches, will be exposed to great danger.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/hankorab\/\"><b>&#8220;Ras Hankorab&#8221;: A Struggle Between Money and the Environment in the Wadi El-Gemal Protectorate<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"section-08\" class=\"z3r-card z3p-sec\"><span class=\"z3r-kicker\">8<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h2>8. Women\u2019s rights, equality and protection from violence<\/h2>\n<div class=\"z3-article-separator\" role=\"separator\" aria-label=\"\u0641\u0627\u0635\u0644 \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u062c\u0632\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u0627\u0644\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 140 4269 130\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M120 211H4149\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#7e7e7e\" stroke-width=\"10\"><\/path><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1718\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"1930\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2142\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2354\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"211\" r=\"56\" fill=\"#fafafa\" stroke=\"#9c9c9c\" stroke-width=\"3\"><\/circle><circle cx=\"2566\" cy=\"202\" r=\"50\" fill=\"#647580\" stroke=\"#4e5962\" stroke-width=\"4\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div>\n<h3><b>Women&#8217;s Rights<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11957\" src=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u064a\u0627\u062a.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u064a\u0627\u062a.png 1366w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u064a\u0627\u062a-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u064a\u0627\u062a-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/\u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u064a\u0627\u062a-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><br \/>\nCoinciding with the end of the events of International Women&#8217;s Day on 8 March, the Cairo Foundation for Development and Law concluded the campaign &#8220;My Living Is Not Under Surveillance, My Life Is My Choice&#8221;, through which it shed light on the right of women and girls to live freely and independently, and in its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CFDL.Eg\/posts\/pfbid02nzDzRVy86K3yiHJaY6GJaNKDQ5PKU5ykQXJ5Tgqm3wmByN1fxpuNa9FM41wsdMHkl\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it stressed that this right is indivisible and cannot be waived, and that women, regardless of their background or status, must enjoy equal rights to choose their lives and make their decisions without being under constant surveillance or interference from those around them, confirming that the Foundation had received many testimonies from women and girls living in difficult circumstances and facing great challenges because of their personal choices to live alone, and that despite the challenges, they have demonstrated their strength and determination to live with dignity and independence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Foundation considered that change must begin with strengthening societal awareness and activating the laws that guarantee the protection of women and their rights; issuing a unified law criminalising violence against women and girls that protects girls&#8217; rights to make their personal decisions without unjustified interference from those around them; combating all forms of social discrimination against women and girls who prefer to live alone and supporting them in facing the challenges they may encounter in a conservative society; and calling on Egyptian society, in all its groups and institutions, to support these orientations and to bear responsibility for achieving justice and equality, stressing that the life of an independent girl should not be a target of attention or interference, but must be respected just as everyone&#8217;s rights are respected.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For its part, the Edraak Foundation for Development and Equality issued a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EdraakEgypt\/posts\/pfbid02BLmWYo5f8LkSAW9VwNgKoehSkwrkRYd92SpHmVjSV3EyoW87tfKzbGK9t4q1PcA6l\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, coinciding with the celebration of International Women&#8217;s Day, which this year coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and under the 2025 theme &#8220;Rights, equality and empowerment for all women and girls&#8221;, explaining that the world today is witnessing an increasing erosion of these rights amid multiple and overlapping crises, despite the efforts made over the past three decades; women around the world suffer from many challenges that hinder the achievement of gender equality, among them child marriage, which is still widespread in many countries, as one in every five girls worldwide marries before reaching the age of 18, and in 20 out of 121 countries for which data are available, at least one in every 10 women was married by the age of 15. Fewer than two-thirds of women worldwide participate in the labour market, and women spend much more time than men on unpaid domestic work, which affects their opportunities in the labour market; working women also earn lower wages than men in most sectors, and women face restrictions in making their decisions related to sexual and reproductive health, as many of them suffer from a lack of access to appropriate health care.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The statement pointed to the increase in gender-based violence, as statistics indicate that every ten minutes a woman is killed by her partner or a member of her family, 612 million women and girls live amid armed conflicts, and women in Palestine and Sudan are still subjected to the worst forms of violence, including killing, exploitation, starvation and deprivation of livelihoods and education. Women and girls in our regional reality remain more vulnerable to poverty and illiteracy and less likely than men to access financial resources and training and employment opportunities, in addition to the challenges they face in accessing political opportunities and their growing suffering from gender-based violence, while girls suffer from a lack of guidance and support to enter the fields of science and technology, leading to a lower number of women working in them compared with men, in addition to the exploitation of digital tools to create an environment hostile to women, fuelling the phenomenon of violence against them and silencing their voices, which leads to the growth of violence and its transfer to the real world, warning that the suffering and the gap will grow as the threats related to climate change escalate, the effects of which fall more heavily on women and girls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Foundation called for greater efforts at the local level to implement mechanisms and adopt legislation that protects Egyptian women in all aspects of their lives, whether in the public or the private sphere, and to provide support and a safe environment for them everywhere, from the home to their workplace and on to transport, schools and universities; we are still in urgent need of also providing a safe space for them in online spaces, where they are exposed to the risks of digital violations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To mark Egyptian Women&#8217;s Day, civil society organisations concerned with women&#8217;s issues, most prominently New Woman, the Centre for Egyptian Women&#8217;s Legal Assistance, Ganoubia Hora, Baraah Aman, Edraak for Development and Equality, Egyptians Without Borders, the Ommi Association, the Forum for Women&#8217;s Development and the Super Woman initiative, presented a joint report on the situation of women in Egypt according to the reviews of the Beijing Platform for Action, which is now being discussed at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/u\/0\/folders\/1VVvycD0etOhj9gasTNZC033SRFyVNkW1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> covered six main axes: inclusive development, shared prosperity and decent work; poverty eradication, social protection and social services; freedom from violence, stigma and stereotypes; participation, accountability and gender-responsive institutions; peaceful and inclusive societies; and environmental conservation, protection and rehabilitation. We also added an axis on women&#8217;s human rights, with a focus on laws and personal status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For its part, the New Woman Foundation <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/41Prtcu\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">considered<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the review of the latest political declaration of the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (Beijing +30) reveals that periodic non-binding declarations are insufficient to address the deep-rooted challenges women face, especially in the Global South and conflict areas, in order to bring about real change, calling for future political declarations to include enforceable accountability mechanisms that link international commitments to clear and measurable standards; updating international human rights frameworks to introduce binding implementation tools instead of merely reaffirming existing rights; adopting a global approach to gender justice while acknowledging the structural disparities that exacerbate gender inequality in the Global South; prioritising women&#8217;s leadership in peace processes with legally binding commitments guaranteeing women&#8217;s participation; and calling on the United Nations to play a more effective role in enforcing gender equality commitments and imposing sanctions on non-compliant states.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regarding the girl-child axis of the national report on the Beijing Platform for Action, the Foundation cited the killing of the child Faten by her husband in August 2024, which took place in the village of Kafr Yaqoub in Gharbia Governorate, and which it said reflects the reality of girls caught between sexual exploitation and domestic violence; this incident reveals a number of violations, beginning with the marriage of girls, which is linked to the economic and social situation that often pushes families to marry off their underage children, in addition to the customs and social culture that encourage or welcome this. By contrast, criminalisation is limited to cases in which an attempt is made to register an official marriage contract or conclude a customary contract to marry off girls, and the penalty mainly covers the official authorised to conclude contracts (the marriage registrar), while the punishment of one of the parents or the guardian is linked to cases in which the sexual exploitation of children is proven, which allows alternative opportunities for impunity, and extends to incidents of abuse in its various forms. The Foundation stressed the importance of mechanisms that encourage girls to report and of legislative texts that likewise do not allow perpetrators to escape punishment, the need to strengthen efforts to combat the marriage of girls and domestic violence, and more guarantees to protect girls and young girls from violence and sexual exploitation within the family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nwrcegypt.org\/zyna\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> recommends amending legislation to stipulate explicitly the criminalisation of the forced marriage of children and the criminalisation of all parties involved in and inciting the forced marriage of children, even those who incite it; a participatory timeline between the government and civil society organisations to eliminate the forced marriage of children, in which civil society participates not only in implementation but also in the mechanisms of evaluation, follow-up and oversight; raising awareness among, and training, those working in educational and cultural institutions on the danger of early marriage and ensuring their intellectual orientation against the phenomenon before they assume any roles or positions that could have a negative influence, in order to limit the spread of a cultural heritage that is at ease with early marriage; activating the laws criminalising female circumcision, encouraging reporting and protecting whistleblowers and witnesses; intensifying awareness in villages and border areas; and having state institutions, especially those responsible for religious pulpits, cultural centres and media platforms, adopt discourses opposing female genital mutilation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, the report&#8217;s recommendations on the axis of women and the environment \/ the situation of women agricultural workers in Egypt included adopting a quota system to integrate women into committees and projects related to climate change, in order to protect the groups most vulnerable to environmental and climate changes; providing financial support to women who contribute to preserving the environment; providing legislative protection for women agricultural workers and enacting laws that consider them workers entitled to wages and health insurance; establishing gender-sensitive units staffed by female officers and social workers at police points in agricultural villages to receive women farmers&#8217; complaints of violence and sexual harassment; removing the bureaucratic obstacles to establishing unions for agricultural workers; providing financial support to women who contribute to preserving the environment; and adopting a quota system to integrate women into committees and projects related to climate change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recommendations of the women and media axis of the national report included unleashing press freedom and releasing the male and female journalists held pending cases; protecting women and female content creators on the internet from pursuit and prosecution under the pretext of protecting family values; state intervention to present women&#8217;s issues through its official and semi-official channels, especially as some channels are wholly owned by the state or loyal to the institutions, in order to express women&#8217;s rights and their real issues; and activating the professional codes of honour of the relevant syndicates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report also made recommendations on the axis of women&#8217;s human rights \/ the situation of women in the criminal justice system: publishing the internal regulations of prisons and presenting them to female and male detainees so that they know their rights and the mechanisms for complaints and reporting, and the importance of taking serious measures to end sexual violence as a method of punishment inside prisons, calling for prisons to take into account women&#8217;s health and physical conditions in terms of buildings, living conditions and health needs, developing the medical facilities inside prisons, the Public Prosecution&#8217;s commitment to its responsibility for the judicial supervision of prisons in order to verify the conditions of female prisoners in terms of treatment, living conditions and other matters and their suitability, so that there are no violations of their rights, and the commitment not to violate the freedom of organisation, the freedom of opinion and expression, demonstration and peaceful assembly, which are constitutional rights and inherent human rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report called for an end to the grave legal violation of arresting girls who report cases of sexual violence and bringing other charges against victims and witnesses, an end to the use of the Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes Law, specifically &#8220;the values of the Egyptian family&#8221;, to pursue and arrest girls, and the importance of its review by the legislative authority, as well as the importance of reconsidering the continued adoption and implementation of the death penalty and its violation of the human right to life, especially in the context of killings committed by women against the background of domestic violence incidents that are difficult to prove under the current legislation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report&#8217;s axis on women in positions of power and decision-making addressed the fact that the electoral system to be adopted in Egypt&#8217;s upcoming parliamentary elections, whether proportional or absolute lists, has not been officially announced, with the likelihood that it will be applied equally between absolute lists and individual seats, considering that this system raises many problems regarding the effective representation of women in the House of Representatives, as women do not find real opportunities to compete for individual seats, given the exorbitant economic cost they impose, the accommodations they require and the confrontation with a society made up mostly of male-dominated environments that marginalise women or place them in stereotypical roles; or, alternatively, their joining absolute lists, which rely on the list obtaining the majority winning all the seats, an inherently exclusionary system, as it deprives the other lists of any representation even if they obtain a large share of the votes, and consequently strengthens the dominance of the major parties, which are often male-dominated environments that marginalise women and do not give them equal opportunities to compete.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report considered that closed absolute lists provide a minimum of women&#8217;s representation through the quota, which reveals that legal obligation, not the electoral system itself, is the main means of guaranteeing women&#8217;s access to parliament; nevertheless, they do not necessarily guarantee effective representation, as women remain largely bound by the choices of the dominant parties, which may lead to the marginalisation of genuine feminist issues in the legislative process. It explained that, by contrast, the proportional list system gives women a fairer opportunity, as seats are distributed according to the proportion of votes each list obtains, which means that parties are compelled to involve women effectively in their lists, and not merely as a means of ensuring compliance with legal requirements or a mandatory quota; this system also gives new political currents, including those that focus on women&#8217;s issues, a real opportunity to enter parliament, which enriches legislative debates on women&#8217;s issues and rights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report touches on the issue of the appointment of women to the seats allocated by the President of the Republic, considering that the selection criteria remain largely vague and depend on political balances more than they reflect a commitment to fair representation of women. Often, women who do not pose a threat to the existing political situation are chosen, and they are often figures belonging to the upper social classes or the political elite, which limits diversity within women&#8217;s representation in parliament, noting that this raises questions about how connected these women are to the issues and concerns of women in Egypt, especially since many of the female appointments have not led to the adoption of genuine policies or legislation that radically strengthen women&#8217;s rights. The same applies to ministerial portfolios and women&#8217;s representation: despite their increasing appointment to ministerial posts in recent years, the ministries assigned to them are often those linked to social services, culture or planning, while the sovereign ministries, foreign policy, interior, defence, financial affairs and others remain the preserve of men.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report believes that this distribution reveals the persistence of the traditional view of women&#8217;s role in politics, as it is confined to specific files without being given real authority over major economic or security decisions; moreover, the appointment of a number of women to ministerial posts does not necessarily mean that they carry feminist agendas, as they may adopt policies that do not reflect the aspirations of the feminist movement, and sometimes even reinforce patriarchal discourse by adopting traditional visions of women&#8217;s role in society, stressing that the increase in percentages in the House of Representatives and the Egyptian government has been affected by political balances that hinder the access of women who express women&#8217;s issues radically, and that the shift towards a more democratic system for selecting women, whether through adopting proportional lists or guaranteeing fair criteria in official appointments, will be an essential step towards more effective representation of Egyptian women in decision-making positions.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commenting on the report, feminist activist <\/span><b>Aya Mounir<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, founder of the Super Woman initiative, explains to Zawia3 that the report provided a monitoring that includes a rereading of the entire scene and links the details to the general political and economic climate, stressing that poverty is being feminised in Egypt, as the poverty rate is rising more sharply among women, women breadwinners suffer from a housing crisis and subsistence crises, and, given women&#8217;s presence in the labour market, there are no protection measures for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regarding the Feminist Drama Observatory, the activist believes that despite the violence and stereotyping against women in Ramadan drama, wrapped in a romantic or religious image, and the repetition of stereotypes about working-class neighbourhoods and their association with thuggery, in works such as &#8220;Esh Esh&#8221;, &#8220;Sayed El-Nas&#8221;, &#8220;El-Atawla&#8221; and &#8220;Fahd El-Batal&#8221;, there have been bright drama experiences this year that presented a number of gender issues, whether directly or indirectly, through inspiring stories, such as the series &#8220;80 Bako&#8221;, which presented stories of women&#8217;s struggle for a group of women in society without stereotyping them, and the two series &#8220;Ekhwati&#8221; and &#8220;Lam Shamsiya&#8221;, which presented some important women&#8217;s issues, explaining that the observatory aims for scenes involving violence or stereotyping to come within an understandable dramatic context, and not as padding merely to tickle the emotions of working-class or rural viewers and entrench patriarchal ideas and stereotypes for the sake of increasing views and reaching the trend, and noting that drama is a basic cultural component for a people with a moderate level of education, that it is influenced by reality and influences it, and that the audience is highly receptive to the ideas presented by drama works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coinciding with the commemoration of International Women&#8217;s Day on 8 March and Egyptian Women&#8217;s Day on the 16th of the same month, the issue of female political detainees and women prisoners of conscience in Egypt stands out as one of the most important issues related to women&#8217;s rights, especially with the continuing violations against them inside prisons, as numerous reports have indicated recently, and the neglect of rights demands for their release, in addition to the halt in the work of the Presidential Pardon Committee, which had been a great hope for the families of male and female detainees, and the uncertainty about the prospects of it resuming its work.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the absence of accurate official statistics, various estimates indicate that there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of women in prisons on political grounds; nevertheless, the issue of female political prisoners does not enjoy clear societal or political mobilisation, whether from general human rights or specifically feminist standpoints, which further complicates their situation in places of detention. Despite the absence of accurate official figures, some reports converge on the existence of tens of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt, without precisely specifying the proportion of women among these detainees, but with the expansion of prisons during 2022, news spread of the transfer of 500 female political prisoners from Qanater Prison to the Wadi El-Natrun prison complex, in a step whose details were not officially announced, which added to the ambiguity of the scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/iwd\/\"><b>Women Prisoners of Conscience in Egypt: A Forgotten File on International Women&#8217;s Day<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a statement, the &#8220;Bar Aman&#8221; initiative, which focuses on issues of violence against women, condemned the occurrence of three crimes of rape of minors in less than two weeks that were hidden behind the veil of &#8220;indecent assault&#8221; instead of the crimes being called by their true name \u2013 rape \u2013 as the law and the media continue to insist on using the term &#8220;indecent assault&#8221;, pointing to the crimes of the rape of a girl in 10th of Ramadan, the rape of a seven-year-old girl by an elderly man in Marsa Matrouh, and the sexual assault by a father who works as a street vendor on his 15-year-old daughter, stressing that &#8220;indecent assault&#8221; is a play on words and a squandering of rights, and that instead of these crimes being called by their correct name, they are classified legally and in the media as &#8220;indecent assault&#8221;, which lightens the penalties for the criminals and diminishes the horror of the crime in the eyes of society.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initiative added in its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/baraman4women\/posts\/pfbid034k6TjRbCgwbh2trbtjLE7TktdWfBqrQummBbFX798YiH78BziDSvm6DuRFMy3hctl\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that Egyptian law recognises rape only if the male organ penetrates the vagina, which means that any other assault is classified as &#8220;indecent assault&#8221;, a classification that leads to lesser penalties for the perpetrators, and that the media&#8217;s focus on the breaking of the so-called &#8220;hymen&#8221;, which many girls are born without, ignores women&#8217;s humanity and the physical and psychological effects on the victims\/survivors, and ignores the fact that rape is not merely penetration but a forced sexual assault, whether by hand, sharp instruments or anything else, calling for crimes to be called by their real names and for an end to the play on words that squanders victims&#8217; rights, and demanding the activation of the unified law against violence against women, because it includes a clear description of the crimes and preserves the dignity and humanity of women and girls.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, the 2024 annual report on crimes of violence against women in the private sphere, issued by the Baraah Aman Foundation under the title &#8220;Only What We Know About Private-Sphere Violence Crimes in Egypt&#8221;, recorded 703 crimes of violence against women in the private sphere, distributed across 21 Egyptian governorates and divided into 312 crimes of physical violence, 132 murders, 30 cases of reproductive violence, 239 cases of economic violence and 185 cases of social violence. More than half of the crimes were in Greater Cairo, and the governorates of Upper Egypt came second, with 48 crimes recorded there, including 30 in Sohag, 10 in Qena, 5 in Assiut, one in Beni Suef and two in Fayoum, while the Delta governorates came third, with 31 crimes recorded: Sharqia Governorate recorded 6 cases, Dakahlia 9 cases, Gharbia 12 cases, Kafr El-Sheikh 5 cases and Damietta two cases; 5 cases were recorded in Beheira, three cases in Alexandria, and three crimes in the Canal governorates, including two in Ismailia and one in Suez. In the border governorates, one crime was recorded in North Sinai and two crimes in the Red Sea, while some governorates were absent from the monitoring because of what the report described as a media blackout and tribal authority, stressing that the figures do not fully reflect reality, as there are survivors who could not report for fear of stigma or of double abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the past four years, crimes against women have increased markedly, and the rates of these crimes jumped between 2020 and 2021 by about 96.39%, the rate fell between 2021 and 2022 by 5.7%, while there was only a slight increase from 2022 to 2023, about 23.76%, whereas crimes rose again by about 25.68% in 2024, which is considered the highest year in the tally of recorded gender-based crimes, as about 1,195 crimes of violence against girls and women in Egypt were recorded during it, an increase over 2023, during which 950 crimes were recorded, compared with 1,006 crimes in 2022, and a rise over the rate of crimes of violence against them in 2021, which reached 813 crimes, compared with 415 crimes in 2020, according to the annual report issued by the Observatory of Crimes of Violence against Women and Girls in Egypt, affiliated with the Edraak Foundation for Development and Equality, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2024, based on officially reported incidents, government and independent press coverage, and the statements of the Public Prosecution and the Administrative Prosecution.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>For a report published by Zawia3 entitled: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/violence-map\/\"><b>Rates of Violence Against Women Double and Greater Cairo Tops the Violence Map<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Editorial correction: The first version of the report stated that the Prime Minister&#8217;s press conference was held on 15 March; 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