Full Press Statement by FJP Secretary-General on Recent Raids on NGOs

Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni, Secretary General of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), denounced the way in which civil society organizations have been dealt with and the closure of some such NGO’s being accused of receiving donations from other countries and foreign organizations, disbursement of said funds to non-legitimate purposes, training thugs and outlaws in political matters, and using those in disrupting national security and public order in the homeland – implementing dubious foreign agendas, without clear evidence to prove this.

Katatni added that the former regime never stormed those organizations or closed any of them the way we see now, which we do not expect to ever happen after the blessed revolution of the twenty-fifth of January, especially as these organizations have been receiving funding since long periods.

Katatni wondered why those organizations were left to operate for so long, if indeed they were breaking the law, and why no law was passed to prohibit foreign funding of human rights organizations, as this is the legitimate way to deal with NGO’s.

Katatni stressed the importance of the role played by civil society organizations in monitoring government actions, assisting it in reaching the public, and preventing its security forces from returning to the policies and practices of oppression and injustice and tyranny that prevailed in the days of the defunct former regime, by monitoring the actions and movements of these forces, and conveying this information to the public in a completely transparent process.

The Secretary-General pointed to the need for priorities of Egyptian human rights organizations to be in harmony with priorities of the Egyptian people, adding that it is also important for these organizations to seek to fund their activities by voluntary contributions of Egyptians only.

He demanded of the Egyptian government and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces total transparency in disclosure of information on those organizations, as well as transparency in the investigations, so that the Egyptian public opinion is always informed of the developments of that issue, and also to ensure a fair trial for those who are proved guilty of these organizations.