By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt–The first day of a controversial trial of 43 non-governmental organization workers accused of working illegally and pressing American and Israeli interests in Egypt has adjourned in Cairo. Mohammed Shoukry, the chief judge, stated on Sunday 26 February 2012 that the court would reconvene for the next hearing on 26 April 2012. The court session adjourned after being suspended “until order is restored” due to a brawl between civil claimants and the judge.

The defendants include 19 Americans and 16 Egyptians. Only seven of the US citizens reportedly remain in the country, where they are not permitted to leave. The others include Serbians, Lebanese, Germans, a Norwegian, a Jordanian, and a Palestinian. Only 13 Egyptians and one German defendants actually appeared at the hearing.

A prosecutor at the hearing read the charges against the defendants, alleging that their “acceptance of illicit funds had detracted from the sovereignty of the Egyptian state.” All 14 defendants who were present denied that they had committed the crimes they were charged with. Upon the case’s adjournment, human rights lawyer Hafez Abou Seida told Egyptian State television reporters that the circumstances surrounding the trial do not necessitate allowing civil claimants as plaintiffs in the case. Abou Seida also stated that the defendants’ representatives should begin submitting evidence of innocence by the upcoming hearing on 26 April 2012.

The charging of US citizens has brought relations between Egypt and the United States to their lowest points in almost three decades. US politicians stated they may cut off Egypt’s $1.3M in annual military aid if the US citizens are tried in the case, although none of them appeared at the hearing. Les Campbell, the regional director of one of the accused US organizations, stated tat his group’s foreign employees did not receive official summons from the court. Thus, they saw no reason to present themselves.

On the other hand, Egyptian officials have stated that the trial has absolutely nothing to do with the government and is in the hands of the judiciary. They have blamed the continued unrest in their country on foreign interference and attribute much of it to the organizations from which the workers in this case are charged.

Ashraf El-Ashmawi and Sameh Abu Zeid, two judges also handling the case, stated the charges could lead to up to five-year prison sentences. El-Ashmawi shared these words with Al-Jazeera.

“These organizations conducted unlicensed and illegal activities without the knowledge of the Egyptian government. Documents confiscated during the raids on the NGO offices confirm illegal foreign funding.”

Seven of the Americans remain in Egypt and have been residing on the grounds of the US embassy in Cairo since the charges were filed and they were barred from leaving the country. Outside of the courtroom on Sunday 26 February 2012, approximately 100 protesters called for the release of Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric imprisoned in the US following the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, in exchange for the US defendants.

The main US organizations involved in the trial are the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute.

The activists were charged with the illegal use of foreign funds to stimulate and fester unrest and operating in the country without a license. But the investigation against these workers fits into a much larger framework. There is a campaign within Egypt’s leaders against foreign influence since the collapse of Hosni Mubarak’s regime last year, considered by many as the first real victory for the Arab Spring.

Rights groups have sharply criticized the existence of the investigation into the groups and the charges, stated that they are part of an orchestrated effort by Egyptian authorities to silence all those critical of the current military rulers. Since the ouster of Mubarak, the civilians in Egypt are ready to begin a new era of change and prosperity. They are putting pressure on the country’s military rules over their stewardship of the economy and the transition to a civilian government. The head of the ruling military council, Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantwai, ordered on Sunday 26 February 2012 that parliament convene on 3 March to elect a committee to draw up a new constitution.

Since Mubarak’s ouster, Egypt has run through over 50 percent of its foreign reserves and is currently seeking a $3.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, as well as additional help from the World Bank and other foreign donors. The Egyptian people are left wondering how and when this desired loan will be used to address their needs and desires, the same needs and desires that removed Mubarak from power and placed the military in control.

One of the defendants, Islam Shafiq, shared these words with the AFP. He works as a financial manager with the US-based International Center for Journalists.

“Of course this trial is politicized. We proved during the investigation that we didn’t do anything.”

For more information, please see: 

Ahram – Egypt’s NGO Trial Adjourned for 26 April in First Session – 26 February 2012

Al-Jazeera – Egypt NGO Workers Trial Adjourned – 26 February 2012

Bloomberg – Egypt Court Adjourns Trial of Pro-Democracy NGO Workers Until April 26 – 26 February 2012

CNN – Trial Is Adjourned After Americans Fail To Appear in Cairo Court – 26 February 2012

The Guardian – Egypt Opens Trial of 43 Pro-Democracy Workers – 26 February 2012

NYT – Trial of U.S. Nonprofit Workers in Egypt Is Abruptly Put Off – 26 February 2012

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – On 15 February 2012, Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) called for the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) to prevent Saudi Arabia from participating in the Olympic games until the country allows women  to compete, beginning with the 2012 London Games.  Saudi Arabia has received criticism that the country violates the spirit of the Olympics by not bringing a female team to participate at the international event.

HRW’s 51-page report entitled “Steps of the Devil: Denial of Women and Girls’ Right to Sport in Saudi Arabia” highlights discriminatory practices against females when the State denies them physical education at state schools, limits women’s athletic facilities, and refuses to support female athletes participation in the Olympic games.

HRW’s report documents that “opponents of sport for women and girls put forward the ‘slippery slope’ argument that, once women start to exercise, they will shed modest clothing, spend ‘unnecessary’ time out of the house and have increased possibilities of mingling with men.”  Opponents also purpose women could engage in sport outside the view of men while wearing modest cloths.

Since the country’s law restricts women from driving, women face challenges accessing athletic facilities.  Furthermore, when a woman is outside, she must wear an abaya, a black cloak that covers her from head to toe.  HRW reported a woman received permission to run a marathon a few years ago if she ran in the abaya.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s denial of women’s right to sport raises health concerns for women and girls, where obesity and diabetes rates climbed in the country.

HRW asserts Saudi Arabia’s policy violates the pledge of equality in IOC charter.  Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei are the only countries that have not sent women’s teams to the Olympics.  However, their cultural counterparts, including Indonesia, Algeria, Bahrain, and Iran, have supported women’s Olympic teams.

The IOC has banned countries in the past for their policies toward women.  Afghanistan, for example, could not participate in the 2000 Sydney Olympics because of the country’s stance on women under Taliban rule.

In 2006, Reema Abdullah organized Jeddah King’s United, the country’s first all-female soccer team, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  The 33-year old reported the women practice three times a week on “a proper size football field with grass that is surrounded by a wall.”

Regarding the upcoming Olympic games, Abdullah told the Associated Press, “We will watch the London Olympics and we will cheer for our men competing there, hoping that someday we can root for our women as well.”

For further information, please see:

The Guardian – Olympic Outrage at Saudi Ban On Women Athletes – 25 Feb 2012

Hamilton Spectator – Saudi Arabia’s Sports Gap – 22 Feb 2012

Sports Illustrated – Female Athletes In Saudi Arabia Challenge Tradition Muslim Norms – 17 Feb 2012

Human Rights Watch – IOC/Saudi Arabia: End Ban on Women in Sport – 15 Feb 2012

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — The revolution that changed Egypt is nearly a year old, and a growing security problem has many wondering if Egyptian security forces are complacent about or complicit in the mayhem around them.

There has been an unprecedented rise in violent crimes since 2011, which has largely been attributed to prison breakouts and a lack of police.

The brazenness of the violence is also troubling. Seven men went into a bank robbery shooting in January; the same day, three men stormed an armored car and made off with $500,000.  A few days later, there was a surreal scene as families lined up outside of a Cairo morgue to watch the procession of coffins carrying the 74 people killed in the Port Said soccer melee.

Historically, Egypt has been safer than many Western countries, but this trend has changed.

Earlier this month groups of American and South Korean tourists were kidnapped in the Sinai peninsula by Bedouin tribesmen.

Currently, at least 20 Jordanian nationals are trapped in the Ras Sidr area in the governorate of south Sinai.  “They can’t move because the road is being blocked by tires set on fire by Bedouin protesters demanding the release of Sinai prisoners,” said an Egyptian interior ministry source.

This increase in violent crime has taken police by surprise, as many city neighborhoods seem to slip fervently out of their grasps.

“We keep reading about crimes that never before existed in our community,” said Mohamed Radwan, the owner of a Cairo gift shop.  “After so many years of financial frustration under [President Hosni] Mubarak,  a certain class of people is willing to do anything for more money, even if that means killing people while robbing them.”

It appears that many of the criminals feel that Egyptian security forces are too busy confronting political issues to seriously deal with crime or provide security.

Ironically, the crime and unrest have brought a sense of equality to some Egyptians as both poor and rich share concerns over security. “We got used to burglaries and attacks and assaults in our poor neighborhoods,” said Soad Mahmoud, a Cairo street vendor. “But I see this everywhere now, cars getting stolen and people murdered for money in places that once used to be the safest.”

The Egyptian police have consistently made statements saying that the situation is under control, however the almost daily incident reports continue to bring criticisms of the security forces.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Jordanians “trapped” in Egypt’s Sinai — 26 Feb. 2012

Philadelphia Inquirer — Brazen crimes add unease to Egypt — 26 Feb. 2012

Boston.com — Egypt: Tribesmen kidnap 3 Korean tourists in Sinai — 10 Feb. 2012

Al Jazeera — Security in Egypt’s Sinai a cause for concern — 05 Jan. 2012

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel — Israeli police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians who threw rocks after leaving Muslim prayers at Jerusalem’s most holy site on Friday.  Elsewhere, Israeli soldiers opened up fire on protesters at a separate demonstration in the West Bank, killing one Palestinian. This continues a series of recent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police.

Hundreds of worshippers emerged from the two mosques in the walled al-Aqsa compound and began staging a demonstration.  An Israeli police spokesperson said that the hundreds of worshippers turned protesters hurled rocks at the police prompting the police to respond with stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

Najeh Bkeirat, a Muslim official at the scene, said demonstrators began throwing rocks only after police tried to stop their march.

Reports state that approximately 11 police officers were lightly injured by rocks, about 30 Palestinians were treated for light injuries from tear gas inhalation and scuffles, and four Palestinians were arrested.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound has repeatedly been a site of violence between the two groups.  The compound sits atop the remains of the two biblical Jewish temples.  It is the most sacred site in Judaism, and it is Islam’s third-holiest site.  Any perceived attempt to change the delicate division of control of the compound sets off protests.

A similar clash at a demonstration near Ramallah in the West Bank around the same time of day resulted in Israeli soldiers firing on Palestinian protesters, leaving one dead.  The Israeli military said the protesting Palestinians threw rocks and firebombs at soldiers stationed nearby, which prompted their response.

Talat Ramieh, 25, was declared dead at a local hospital after suffering a critical chest injury.

The cause of the confrontations is not clear, however there have been heightened tensions between Jews and Muslims recently as rumors have been swirling among Palestinian activists that far right Israelis are attempting to gain access to Muslim-controlled areas at the holy site.

Israeli police have claimed that such rumors are false.

Jordan previously warned Israel on Sunday over any attempts by right-wing activists to threaten the al-Aqsa mosque.  Foreign Minister Nasser Judah denounced the recent use of force by Israeli police against worshippers at the mosque after eyewitnesses claimed that Israeli police entered the Muslim portion of the temple with a group of foreign visitors.

There has been a call from extremist Israeli groups and politicians to storm the al-Asqa mosque and establish the so-called Third Temple.  Many pro-Palestinian activists cite Israel’s failure to stop or disavow the extremist campaign as a reason for the growing violence.

Jordan has called for immediate international intervention from the Arab and Islamic worlds to stop Israel’s “daily and ongoing violations” in Jerusalem.

For more information, please see:

HAAERTZ — Palestinian killed in West Bank demonstration after Temple Mount clashes, sources say — 25 Feb. 2012

Al Jazeera — Clashes continue at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa — 24 Feb. 2012

Huffington Post — Jerusalem Clashes: Conflicts Between Israel Police And Palestinians At Al Aqsa Site — 24 Feb. 2012

Washington Post — Police clash with Palestinians throwing rocks at Jerusalem holy site — 24 Feb. 2012

MENAFN — Jordan warns Israel over Al Aqsa as Jerusalem tensions reach ‘boiling point’ — 20 Feb. 2012