Butros Ghali: Miserable Human Rights in Egypt

Professor Butros Ghali; head of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), stated that the Egyptian government impedes human rights. He feels unsatisfied towards the status of human rights in Egypt asserting that Egypt lagged behind acknowledging the rights culture, because the government sees the principles spread by the human rights centers as threatening the general threat.

In a symposium on Tuesday evening at the Journalists’ Syndicate titled “Human Rights Issues between Reality and Expectations”, Ghali said that the governments ignore human rights violations to attain peace- as they think- asserting that the NCHR is no more than a consultative council same like the French, Belgium, and Indian councils.

Ghali emphasized that the increase of illiteracy in Egypt up to 40% hinders the rights culture. He added that poor living standards in Egypt make the people prioritize bread winning only rather than human rights culture.

Ghali denoted that the NCHR doesn’t cooperate with other non-governmental human rights organizations because the balance of these organizations equals the budget of small countries. Meanwhile, Ghali did not deny getting cash and kind support from the USA justifying that the government itself gets support form the USA.

“Globalization is a new phenomenon that needs to be prepared for in the coming period in order not to make Egypt suffer from international imperialism, because the rights institutions conditions in Egypt foreshadow the foreign interference in the internal and national issues like the pressures practiced against Late President Sadat to sign Camp David Treaty” Ghali stated.

He indicated that the NCHR couldn’t interfere in solving the issue of arresting April 6th youth unless they officially submit demands asserting that the NCHR regulations examine officially submitted petitions.

Muhammad Abdul-Quddos denounced Ghali reply because the international organizations denounced the arrest of the April 6th youth while the NCHR turns a blind eye waiting for official complaint and inquired “Why the Amnesty International did not wait for a complaint before denouncing such a decision?”.