General Prosecution office (Photo: Al-Ahram)
Egypt’s prosecution ordered on Thursday the release of three employees of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal rights (EIPR) on bail.
The prosecution released the Head Director of EIPR Gasser Abdel Razk, Executive Director of EIPR Mohamed Bashir, and the head of the group’s criminal justice department, Karim Ennarah, who were arrested last month.
The prosecution decided to release the three as legal documents were provided by EIPR showing the legal procedures that have been taken to change the status of EIPR from a regular company to a non-profit organisation in accordance with the NGO law.
From its side, EIPR announced on Wednesday that it presented an official letter to the social solidarity ministry about the steps taken to register itself, including official correspondence with the ministry over several years proving that EIPR had applied for a license to engage in non-profit civil activities as an NGO.
Last week, the Egyptian government ratified new amendments to the NGO law that organises and regulates the work of local and foreign NGOs in the country.
Following the arrest, an international solidarity campaign from both international human rights organisations as well as renowned foreign actors, including academy awards nominees Scarlett Johansson and Carey Mulligan, called for the release of the detainees.
Several EU governments and international organisations like the UN also condemned their arrest and called for their release in several statements.
The Egyptian foreign ministry denounced these statements and rejected any attempt to influence the investigations with the EIPR staff.
Short link: