The Egyptian Organization or Human Rights (EOHR) expresses its deep appreciation of the important and great responsibilities which fall upon the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in this critical time through which our beloved country is going thus renewing its trust in the men of the great Egyptian military and in their ability to overcome them. EOHR calls on SCAF to immediately respond to the legitimate demands of the popular uprising for which hundreds of martyrs and thousands of wounded all over the country have paid their blood as a price in return for freedom and democracy to achieve these demands.
As such EOHR emphasizes that SCAF won’t let the lives of those martyrs go in vain without holding investigations and punish those responsible for these crimes which have been committed against the entire Egyptian population in addition to investigating the accountability of ministers and officials -whatever their position were- and all the corrupt who were responsible for looting the money of the people and wasting public funds or long years taking into consideration the information and basic conclusions found by the national human rights committees for fact finding and combating corruption in that regard. As such, EOHR emphasized the necessity of SCAF’s quickness in taking some steps and measurements on all political, legal and constitutional levels for the purpose of preserving the gains of the popular revolution and as a way of protecting the safety and security of this country and its citizens which has been stressed by the Egyptian army since the beginning of the revolution of the 25th of January and until now. As such, EOHR recommends the following:
First: The termination of the state of emergency in place since 1981 according to emergency law number 162 for the year 1958 due to its damaging and dangerous impacts on the human rights system in Egypt and on hindering the ways of the peaceful democratic development in the society in addition to the immediate release of all the detainees who have been arrested during the popular uprising since its beginning in the 25th of January and until now and also of all political detainees who’ve been repeatedly arrested in contradiction to the rulings of the judiciary to release them and acquit them from the charges associated with them in accordance to the rulings of the law, the constitution and the sanctity of the rulings of the judiciary.
Second: Forming a national coalition government made up of public independent figures known for their capabilities, integrity, neutrality and independence. This coalition government has to be transitional until holding the coming presidential and parliamentary elections.
Third: Terminating the current constitution and its different amendments and forming a founding committee to put a new constitution of a civil democratic country respects and enhances human rights and establishes a state of sovereignty of the law the way which restores balance between the three powers through holding a parliamentary system. This has to be accompanied by amended the legislations which regulate the political life in Egypt. Such legislations include the law on pursuing political rights number 73 for the year 1956 and its last amendments. Also the laws restricting rights and freedoms have to be cancelled. In other words, a new legislative system has to be crafted in according to the rulings of the new constitution and international standards of human rights. Among the requirements of this system, it is necessary to:
- Allowing the freedom of forming parties and association through only notification which would mean to abolish the law on political parties, number 40 for the year 1977 and its amendments in addition to the law of civil associations and foundations number 84 for the year 2002.
- emphasizing the right of all professional syndicates in setting laws on organizing their activities according to the rulings of the new constitution and international standards concerned with human rights and as means of activating the ruling of the Supreme Constitutional Court of abolishing law number 100 for the year 1993 known as the law of: “Democratic guarantees for Syndicate Organizations” and its amendments of the year 1995.- emphasizing the right of workers to form syndicate organizations whether through their rights to elect their representatives freely and through independence in organizing their administration and their activities and in forming their programs and their rights to form or join unions which would call for abolishing the law of professional syndicates number 35 for the year 1976 because of the legislative restrictions it pauses over syndicate freedom.
- drafting a new law to organize the right to demonstrate and peaceful assembly according to the constitutional and international standards agreed upon which requires the abolition of the law on assembly number 10 for the year 1914 and law number 14 for the year 1923.
Fourth: dissolving the People’s Assembly and the Shura Council and calling for holding free and fair parliamentary elections on the condition that such elections be held using the system of proportional system under full judicial supervision and under the monitoring of national and international civil society organizations in a way that guarantees enabling such organizations to perform such monitoring inside and outside of polling stations.
Fifth: forming a national independent committee to investigate the reasons behind the deterioration of the condition of prisons in Egypt and the flagrant violations which occurred inside these prisons during the popular uprising. This committee should announce the results of such investigation and the methods used in holding it to public opinions thus being allowed to access the information and data it needs and all the people the committee wants to listen to by the concerned authorities.
Sixth: putting a final limitation of practicing torture and abuse in police stations and centers and also the Egyptian government’s ratification of the two declarations referred to in articles 21 and 22 of the UN Convention Against Torture according to which the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will be able to investigate and rule on the complaints presented by countries and people concerning Egypt’s violation of its obligations as detailed in the convention.
Seventh: allowing the freedom of issuing newspapers and owning mass media, and making equal opportunities available for parties and political forces in addition to all democratic trends and ideologies to be able to freely present their opinions and thoughts in all mass media owned by the people until the law of Television and Broadcasting is amended and until the independence of mass media is achieved from the executive authority. Also the punitive philosophy regarding the legislations of press and media has to be terminated and replaced by a philosophy that encourages all forms of free expression and motivates excellence and creativity in the field of press and media with stressing the right of citizens in obtaining and exchanging information according to the standards agreed on in democratic states.Eighth: the speedy of response to the demands of the Egyptian people in its different categories regarding their demands concerned with economic and social rights represented in raising the minimum level of wages, stopping the rapid increase of prices, combating unemployment, creating job vacancies for graduates in public and private sectors, protecting the funds of social insurance and extending them to include all workers in different sectors and enabling those of limited income and poor people to enjoy the right to appropriate housing that is characterized with privacy, security and healthy standards in addition to the right to obtain good healthcare that is appropriate for everyone.
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