Judges rule NGO staff to stand trial in Egypt
Source: Agencies |
February 6, 2012, Monday
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EGYPTIAN investigating judges have referred 43 NGO workers, including 19 Americans, for trial before a criminal court over alleged involvement in banned activities and illegally receiving foreign funds, security officials said yesterday.
The decision marked a sharp escalation in a dispute between Cairo and Washington over Egypt's crackdown on United States-funded groups promoting "democracy and human rights."
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Egypt that failure to resolve the dispute could lead to the loss of American aid.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr responded yesterday by saying the government could not interfere in the work of the judiciary.
"We are doing our best to contain this but ... we cannot actually exercise any influence on the investigating judges right now when it comes to the investigation," Amr said.
Those referred to trial included five Serbs, two Germans and three non-Egyptian Arab nationals. Among the 19 Americans is Sam LaHood, head of the Egypt office of the Washington-based International Republican Institute and son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
All 43 have been banned from leaving the country.
The investigation into the work of NGOs is closely linked with the political turmoil that has engulfed the nation since Hosni Mubarak was deposed a year ago. He was a close ally of the US. The generals who took power after Mubarak's fall have accused "foreign hands" of being behind protests against their rule.
The decision marked a sharp escalation in a dispute between Cairo and Washington over Egypt's crackdown on United States-funded groups promoting "democracy and human rights."
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Egypt that failure to resolve the dispute could lead to the loss of American aid.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr responded yesterday by saying the government could not interfere in the work of the judiciary.
"We are doing our best to contain this but ... we cannot actually exercise any influence on the investigating judges right now when it comes to the investigation," Amr said.
Those referred to trial included five Serbs, two Germans and three non-Egyptian Arab nationals. Among the 19 Americans is Sam LaHood, head of the Egypt office of the Washington-based International Republican Institute and son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
All 43 have been banned from leaving the country.
The investigation into the work of NGOs is closely linked with the political turmoil that has engulfed the nation since Hosni Mubarak was deposed a year ago. He was a close ally of the US. The generals who took power after Mubarak's fall have accused "foreign hands" of being behind protests against their rule.
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