The Egyptian State’s Commissioner Authority on Sunday has set May 31 to review lawsuits demanding the annulment of Egypt government’s decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabian sovereignty over the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, Al Ahram reported.
The legal cases’ grounds depend on Article 151 of 2014 Constitution, which compels the president to obtain parliament approval before signing foreign treaties. Two of the lawsuits call for conducting public referendum before approving the maritime border demarcation agreement signed between Egyptian and Saudi leaders in April.
“The president of the republic shall represent the state in foreign relations and shall conclude treaties and ratify them after approval from the parliament. Such treaties shall have the force of law after publication,” according to the article.
“Treaties of peace, alliance, and all treaties related to the rights of sovereignty must be put to a public referendum and cannot be ratified until after the results of the referendum are announced,” the article added.
The Egyptian Cabinet announced that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, located at the entrance of Al-Aqaba Gulf, are Saudi Territories. Lawyer Khaled Ali, and former Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi and other lawyers have filed lawsuits against the decision.
The deal stirred public anger. On April 15 and 25, thousands of people protested the decision outside the Cairo-based Journalists syndicate.
The Egyptian authorities have detained more than 100 protesters and gave sentences to two and five years in jail over “illegal protesting and inciting violence and disturbing public order.”
