The Organization of the Victims of Abduction and Enforced Disappearance was one of the first EgyptianNGOsthat applied for gaining a legal status under the Ministry of Social Solidarity even before the ultimatum givenby the Egyptian government to the Egyptian NGOs.
On 14/10/2014, The Organization completed all the legal procedures required by the Law 84/2002 for the registration of the Organization .The law provided clearlyonarticle (127) that Organization shall acquire the legal personalityeither on the next day following their registrationor after sixty days from the date of application whichever is earlier.
Furthermore, The Egyptian Constitution adopted in 2014 supports the right tofreedom ofassociation by stressing that associations and foundations acquire their legal personality upon notification.
Nonetheless, The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Organization metMr.Essam El-Din Barham, the Secretary of the Ministry of Social Solidarityand he verbally told him that the final approval waits for a security response!
Despite the fact that by the end of the sixty-day period provided by the law without an officialresponse the Organization houldbe considereda legal entityby the force of law–asclearly stipulated in law 84/2002–the responsefrom the General Directorate of Security in the Ministry of Social Solidarity advised the refusal ofthe registration of the Organization without giving a clear reason.
We consider thisas anunjustified positionthat unjustifiably hinders our humanitarian mission and our noble goals.It alsoexceeds the constitutional and legal principles and representsa violation of the rule of law.
The Board of Trustees of the Organization stressesits rightto perform the activities of the Organization in consistent with the text of the law which lifts any restrictionsfrom the Organization after the end of the Sixty-day periodfromthe application, The Board of Trustees also stressesits right of litigation and requestingredress.
The Organization of the Victims of Abduction and Enforced Disappearance requests the intervention of the President of the Republic to enforce the application of the constitution and the law, and toalleviate the rigorist position at the side of the executives towards the work of the Organization and the national cause it works to serve.
The Organization also appeals to the Minister of Social Solidarity Ms. GhadaWali to clarify the Ministry's position on the nature of themission of the Organization, and todeclare the real reasons behind refusing its registration.
Finally, The Organization of the Victims of Abduction and Enforced Disappearance calls upon all civil and non-governmental organizations in Egypt to stand in solidarity with itagainstthe bureaucratic and administrative arbitrariness, and the violation of the texts of the law, in addition to the violation of many of international conventions, in particular Article (22) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which gives everyone the right to freedom of association with others, in a time the Egyptian Constitution in Article (93) stresses the commitment of the state to these conventions.
Ebram Louis
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Foundation Of The Victims Of Abduction And Forced Disappearance
www.fvafd.com
ebram@fvafd.com
+20 (12) 7021 0748
