During the 42nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Right Livelihood Foundation delivered a statement regarding the uplifting of the travel ban imposed by the Egyptian authorities on Mozn Hassan. The unfair freezing of Ms. Hassan’s assets is yet another matter that the Right Livelihood Foundation condemns. Read the full Oral Statement below:
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Egypt has signed and ratified, asserts the right to freedom of association with others as an integral part of public life.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the freedom of movement as an inalienable human right.
Yet, Human Right Defenders (HRDs) and civil society associations have been persecuted and prosecuted by the Egyptian government in case 173/2011. Since 2014, authorities have deployed delaying tactics such as travel bans and asset freezes, to unnecessarily prolong the case with no serious judicial progress. Such tactics have also prevented activists from carrying out their duties.
As Egypt heads into its Universal Periodic Review session in November, we would like to express our deepest concern over the travel ban imposed by the Egyptian authorities on Ms. Mozn Hassan, Executive Director of the ECOSOC-accredited NGO Nazra for Feminist Studies, and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award in 2016. We also condemn the asset freeze order imposed on Nazra.
Tomorrow, on 14 September, the South Cairo Circuit is set to look at the appeals against the travel ban and the asset freeze order.
Right Livelihood Award Foundation and Nazra urge the council and member states to call on Egypt to immediately lift the unfair and prolonged travel ban imposed on Ms. Hassan since June 2016, and the asset freeze imposed on Nazra that has no justification except being a retaliation against both parties for their human rights and feminist advocacy.
