UN alarm as Egypt freezes assets of key rights activists

An Egyptian court on Saturday imposed an asset freeze on five prominent human rights activists and three non-governmental organizations, in the latest crackdown on civil society in the country. Saturday's decision paves the way for criminal proceedings against the defendants that could lead to life sentences if they are found guilty. Many believe this action is politically motivated.

An investigating magistrate had ordered the asset freezes, but they were subject to court approval.

The EU further called on Egyptian authorities to "allow the independent functioning of civil society organizations and human rights defenders as guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution and in line with worldwide human rights standards".

As NPR's Leila Fadel has reported, "many activists in Egypt say the country is going through the most repressive time in its modern history".

The ruling violates Egypt's obligations toward promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Egyptian-European agreements, according to the statement.

In February, the authorities froze the assets of several Egyptian human rights activists and their families and banned them from travel as part of its reopening of a five year old case.

Those impacted are investigative journalist Hossam Bahgat, who founded the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights; Gamal Eid, the director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information; Bahey el Din Hassan, founder of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies; Mostafa al-Hassan, director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre; and Abdel Hafiz el-Tayel, director of the Egyptian Center on the Right to Education.

The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International called the ruling a "shameless ploy" to silence activism.

The case against the group was brought by judges overseeing an inquiry into human rights groups on charges that include the transfer of funds to allegedly illegal entities and using those funds for illegal purposes, such as the vaguely worded purposes of "pursuing acts harmful to national interests", "destabilizing general peace", or "harming security and public order".

Saturday's decision came ahead of a visit by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief whose government is accused by rights groups of violations, to NY for United Nations General Assembly on September 20.

None of the NGO staff summoned for questioning have been formally charged.

A month later, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the military in overthrowing Islamist then President Mohamed Morsi.

The NGOs that have had their assets frozen are the groups three of them were leading.