Morsi’s Fascinating Definition of Freedom

On Tuesday, an Egyptian criminal court convicted 43 American, European, Egyptian and other Arab NGO workers for using illegal foreign funding to foment “civil unrest and raising fear” within Egypt’s society.

Judge Makram Awad sentenced 27 defendants in absentia to five years prison, including 15 U.S citizens. These defendants had long left Egypt, including Sam LaHood, son of the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who received a five-year jail term.

Five defendants who were present in Egypt, including one American, were sentenced to two years and obliged to pay a fine of 1,000 L.E. Another 11 were given one-year suspended sentences. The judge ordered the permanent closure of the branches of the NGOs where the staffers worked and their funds to be confiscated.

These sentences follow the crackdown, which formally began in December 2011 with raids by Egyptian security forces in the offices of foreign NGOs.
The attack on the NGOs led to the worst crisis between Egypt and the U.S in decades, and these sentences threaten to cut the flow of $1.3 billion in annual American (military) aid.

Secretary of State, John Kerry issued a statement expressing U.S government concern regarding the ruling and the final sentences. John Kerry said that the “decision runs contrary to the universal principle of freedom of association and is incompatible with the transition to democracy.” He insisted on the urge of the Egyptian government to ” work with civic groups as they respond to the Egyptian people’s aspirations for democracy as guaranteed in Egypt’s new constitution.”

This is another attack on Egyptian civil society. And, as if these trials were not enough, Morsi’s government is in the process of implementing a new law targeting NGOs that will only further constrain civil society.

The draft law is based on the Freedom and Justice Party’s draft law that was submitted to the Shura Council in March 2013.The new law would entail that all foreign funding for NGOs in Egypt should be accepted by a committee including government representatives, which will lead to an increasing government’s monitoring of NGOs operations.

While all sectors agree on the antidemocratic of this draft, Morsi’s government trough its Foreign Policy Blog asserts that the NGO draft law proposed by the Presidency “affirms the basic concepts of access, empowerment, and supporting various forms of civil work upon which the law is based while taking into account the principles of transparency, respect for the constitution and law, and open to different experiences around the world in the field of civil work.”Funny, isn’t it?

Largely ignoring the advices and warnings from national and international players, the Egyptian government is pushing for a law that will restrict and asphyxiate civil society groups and organizations. Draconian measures that once again, show Egypt’s corrupt justice system and government.