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Egyptian Corporate Lawyer: Shura Council discusses draft law on NGOs | Egypt ...: http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/shura-council-discusses-draft-law-ngos Shura Council discusses draft la...

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Shura Council discusses draft law on NGOs | Egypt Independent

The Shura Council met on Monday to discuss the draft law governing NGOs submitted by Prime Minister Hesham Qandil's Cabinet, which the council decided is constitutional.

Mohamed al-Demerdash, adviser to the Minister of Social Affairs, said the draft law conforms with Article 51 of the Constitution, which grants citizens the right to set up civil society organizations just by notifying authorities. Authorities may not dissolve them except by judicial ruling.

One of the goals of the law is to alleviate restrictions on the operation of NGOs, activate their role and reduce the role of security authorities, Demerdash said at a meeting for the Shura Council's human resources development committee.

He added that before finalizing the draft law, the opinions and suggestions of rights activists and workers in the field of NGOs would be solicited.

The draft law bans NGOs that have a military nature, threaten national unity, violate public order or call for discrimination on the basis of race, origin or language.

It also stipulates that activities that are locally financed and seek to raise awareness of legal and constitutional rights and human rights are not banned. NGOs are also allowed to receive funding provided they give notification to the regional NGOs union.

However, NGOs would not be allowed to receive funds of any nature from abroad, be they from an Egyptian or foreign entity or a representative of a foreign entity in Egypt, until they obtain approval from a coordinating committee formed by the prime minister and led by the minister of social affairs, with representatives from several ministries and authorities.

The committee would grant foreign NGOs the right to have one or more activities, and decide on the renewal, amendment or cancellation of their permits. A foreign NGO would not be allowed to remain active if proven to receive funds to serve the goals of a political organization or to undermines national sovereignty. 

Abdel Azeem Mahmoud, the head of the human development committee, said the current law regulating the function of NGOs is "distorted" and is no longer suitable after the 25 January revolution. 

He also emphasized that feasibility studies should be undertaken before establishing new NGOs.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt's alcohol ban raises tourism doubts - Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9872242/Egypts-alcohol-ban-raises-tourism-doubts.html

Egypt's alcohol ban raises tourism doubts

This week the government – led by Mohamed Morsi of the Freedom and Justice Party, which has strong links to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood – said it will no longer issue licenses to sell alcohol in some urban areas, including newly-built "satellite cities" on the outskirts of major population centres.

Announcing the move, Nabil Abbas, vice-president of the New Urban Communities Authority, said: "We cannot allow stores spreading debauchery in our society."

Although the ban is unlikely to affect any key holiday destinations – particularly Red Sea resorts such as Sharm El Sheikh – it has raised fears that growing conservatism could soon affect those travellers wishing to visit the country and enjoy a drink. One Cairo-based news website described the move as "the end of alcohol in Egypt".

But Peter Lilley, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa Travel Association, which promotes the region, argued that "financial realities" would discourage the Egyptian government from restricting the sale of alcohol further.

"Egypt is very volatile so it's impossible to give cast-iron guarantees, but tourism is absolutely vital to the country's economy," he said. "Even those in government who dislike some of the 'negative' aspects of tourism which offend Muslims – such as alcohol – know it would be madness to effectively close the door to tourists.

"The Red Sea Riviera was quite deliberately created as a sort of tourist enclave, almost entirely separate from the rest of Egypt and with its own rules and lifestyle, therefore it's highly unlikely this area will be subject to an alcohol ban," he added. "It's marginally more likely that a ban could be introduced which would include the Upper Egypt resorts of Luxor and Aswan – in the belief that tourists will continue to visit there whether there's alcohol available or not."

Richard Spencer, the Telegraph's Middle Eastern correspondent, agreed that economic considerations meant immediate change was unlikely, but said the long-term future remains unclear. He said: "If the liberal opposition falls apart, as it is on the verge of doing, the main opposition will be the hardline Salafi movement," he said. "That will jeopardise alcohol, clubs, the tourist industry. The Salafis are already talking about segregated beaches and concentrating on 'religious and medical tourism'."

While Egypt suffered from a sharp fall in overseas visitors following the Arab Spring, recent figures suggest that the country is beginning to find favour again – despite continuing unrest.

An estimated 11.5 million holidaymakers took a break there last year – including around one million Britons – up by 17 per cent on 2011, although still down from the 14.7 million who visited in 2009. A report by the tour operator Hayes & Jarvis this week suggested that resurgence is continuing, with Egypt among its top ten selling destinations for the first time in three years.

The Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to most of the Sinai Peninsular, including St Catherine's Monastery, but not the major resorts of Sharm El Sheikh, Taba, Nuweiba and Dahab, due to recent attacks and kidnappings by Bedouin tribesmen.

Visitors to the rest of Egypt are advised to avoid demonstrations and exercise caution. See fco.gov.uk for more information.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/

Mubarak-era PM, interior minister granted retrial in corruption case - Economy - Business - Ahram Online

Ahram Online, Wednesday 13 Feb 2013

Egypt's Court of Appeal accepted the appeal of former prime minister Ahmed Nazif and notorious former interior minister Habib El-Adly on Wednesday.

Both Nazif and Adly were accused of giving a German company a contract worth LE92 million to manufacture license plates for the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, through a direct order and not through public auction as stipulated by law. Both were found guilty and given five year prison sentences.

The success of the appeal means both will face a retrial.

The court has also ordered the retrial of former tourism minister and business tycoon Zoheir Garana, following an appeal. Garana was sentenced to three years on corruption charges related to issuing licenses to tourism agencies owned by himself and his business acquaintances.

Mubarak's chief of staff, Zakaria Azmi, was acquitted by the Court of Appeals after he completed a temporary jail sentence which the Egyptian penal code stated cannot exceed "a maximum period of 18 months."

"Azmi will still be held under custody as he is still under investigation in several other cases related to profiteering and abuse of power," Mostafa Hosseiny, Public Funds Prosecutor-General, told Ahram Online.Egypt's Court of Appeal accepted the appeal of former prime minister Ahmed Nazif and notorious former interior minister Habib El-Adly on Wednesday.

Both Nazif and Adly were accused of giving a German company a contract worth LE92 million to manufacture license plates for the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, through a direct order and not through public auction as stipulated by law. Both were found guilty and given five year prison sentences.

The success of the appeal means both will face a retrial.

The court has also ordered the retrial of former tourism minister and business tycoon Zoheir Garana, following an appeal. Garana was sentenced to three years on corruption charges related to issuing licenses to tourism agencies owned by himself and his business acquaintances.

Mubarak's chief of staff, Zakaria Azmi, was acquitted by the Court of Appeals after he completed a temporary jail sentence which the Egyptian penal code stated cannot exceed "a maximum period of 18 months."

"Azmi will still be held under custody as he is still under investigation in several other cases related to profiteering and abuse of power," Mostafa Hosseiny, Public Funds Prosecutor-General, told Ahram Online.
 

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/

Mubarak aide released from prison - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

Mubarak aide released from prison

Zakaria Azmi, Mubarak's chief of staff, was released after his appeal for a retrial in a corruption case was successful

Ahram Online , Thursday 14 Feb 2013

Zakaria Azmi, who was chief of staff under former president Hosni Mubarak, left the headquarters of the Cairo Security Directorate on Thursday after procedures for his release were concluded.

Azmi was convicted by an Egyptian court on charges of corruption in 2012, and sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of LE36.4 million ($6 million). He was recently granted an appeal for a retrial.

His release was ordered by a court on Wednesday on the grounds that a suspect cannot be held in prison for more than 18 months.

Azmi is still under investigation in several other cases related to profiteering and abuse of power.

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/

ElBaradei investigated for 'encouraging violence at presidential palace' - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

ElBaradei investigated for 'encouraging violence at presidential palace'

Salafist Al-Asala Party leader files legal complaint against Mohamed ElBaradei for his comment on Twitter that violence will continue if President Morsi rejects demands of opposition

Ahram Online, Thursday 14 Feb 2013

Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei will be investigated by the prosecution for his comments that allegedly encourage violence.

Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah ordered the investigation after a legal complaint was filed by Salafist Al-Asala Party leader Mamdouh Ismail.

Mohamed ElBaradei had said on Twitter: "The violence and chaos will continue until Morsi and his associates listen to the public's demands for a new government, a democratic constitution and an independent judiciary."

Ismail's complaint said ElBaradei had violated his endorsement of the Al-Azhar document, which was designed to help end weeks of political unrest in the country.

ElBaradei had violated religious and democratic norms and international agreements, Ismail added.

Mohamed ElBaradei is co-leader of the opposition National Salvation Front.

At least 59 people have been killed and hundreds injured in nationwide protests since the second anniversary of the January 25 Revolution.
 

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/

Egyptian regulator appeals against court's YouTube ban - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

Egyptian regulator appeals against court's YouTube ban

The Egyptian telecom regulator appeals against YouTube ban court order due to the difficulty in implementation and economic losses the ban entails

Reuters , Thursday 14 Feb 2013

Egyptian authorities appealed on Thursday against a court order banning the video file-sharing site YouTube for a month over an amateur video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad, saying the ruling was unenforceable.

"The National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority has presented an appeal to halt implementation of the verdict," said a statement from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Egypt's administrative court ordered the ministries of communication and investment to block YouTube, owned by Google , inside the country because it had carried the film "Innocence of Muslims", said the state news agency MENA.

The low-budget 13-minute video, billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding, provoked a wave of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries in September.

The video depicts the Prophet as a fool and a sexual deviant. For most Muslims, any portrayal of the Prophet is considered blasphemous.

A statement issued after talks between ministry officials and the telecoms regulator said it was technically impossible to shut down YouTube in Egypt without affecting Google's Internet search engine, incurring potentially huge costs and job losses.

"The government cannot carry out the contents of the verdict within Egypt's borders," the statement said. The only step the authorities could take was to block the offending film within Egypt, which had already been done.

Only the United States had the capability to shut down YouTube, it said.

"Blocking YouTube would affect the search engine of Google, of which Egypt is the second biggest user in the Middle East," the statement said. This would cause losses to the economy of up to hundreds of millions of Egyptian pounds (tens of millions of dollars) and affect thousands of jobs, it added.

In a statement, Google said it had created a simple mechanism for legal authorities to request the blocking of content viewed as illegal.

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/

28 Egyptians detained for national security investigations: Saudi ambassador - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

28 Egyptians detained for national security investigations: Saudi ambassador

Saudi Ambassador Ahmad bin Abdul Aziz Kattan announces 28 Egyptian detainees are being investigated for terrorism and national security cases, all punishable by Saudi law

Ahram Online, Thursday 14 Feb 2013

Only 28 Saudi-held Egyptian nationals, without sentence or conviction, are currently detained for investigations on charges concerning violations, said the Saudi Ambassador in an embassy statement on Thursday.

Saudi Ambassador Ahmad bin Abdul Aziz Kattan explained that the Egyptian detainees are being investigated for terrorism and national security cases, which are all punishable by Saudi law.

"1,000 Egyptian prisoners were sentenced to jail and 82 Egyptians received royal clemency in Ramadan," Kattan added.

The Saudi ambassador highlighted that the law enforcement in Saudi Arabia "prevails on natives and foreigners of all nationalities without any exception."

Kattan asserted that the number of Egyptian detainees in the oil rich kingdom "is decreasing."

The ambassador explained that a number of detainees and their families are currently on their way back to Egypt, after settling their financial problems.

There are detainees whose cases are still being considered by the Saudi judiciary and others who are being investigated in preparation for issuing a lawsuit against them, Kattan added.

"Due to the dangerous criminal charges against those detainees, Saudi authorities will consider handing them over to Egypt, once the detainees receive final verdicts and settle their rights and duties to complete the term of punishment in Egyptian prisons," he added.

The Saudi ambassador pointed out that there is another group of detainees waiting for the issuing of lawsuits against them in preparation for trial and others who received preliminary verdicts and are waiting for the appeal court verdicts.

"The number of violators is almost negligible compared to the 2 million Egyptian citizens working in Saudi Arabia," Kattan said. "The Egyptian community is one of the most law-abiding communities in Saudi Arabia."

Saudi Arabia has been frequently criticised for its unjust treatment of Egyptians.

On January 13, a Saudi court sentenced Ahmed El-Gizawy, an Egyptian lawyer, to five years in jail and 300 lashes. El-Gizawy was detained by Saudi authorities in April 2012 as he entered the kingdom to perform Umrah, a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, for allegedly smuggling drugs into Saudi Arabia.

In October 2012, Egyptian nationals detained in Saudi went on hunger strike to demand their release, according to the Association of Families of Egyptian Detainees in Saudi Arabia.

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BBC News - Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell charged with child rape

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21468687

Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell charged with child rape

15 February 2013 Last updated at 10:06 GMT

Michael Le Vell has acted in Coronation Street since 1983

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has been charged with a string of sex offences, including raping a child.

Police said the 48-year-old who plays Kevin Webster in the soap is also accused of indecently assaulting a child and sexual activity with a child.

ITV said the actor will not be appearing in the soap "pending the outcome of legal proceedings".

Mr Le Vell, whose real name is Michael Turner, is due before magistrates in Manchester on 27 February.

He faces a total of 19 charges relating to crimes allegedly committed between 2001 and 2010.

Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said she had reviewed a decision not to prosecute Mr Le Vell following allegations made against him in 2011.

She said: "I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.

"I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child.

"Mr Turner has now been charged with criminal offences and has a right to a fair trial."

The actor, from Hale in Greater Manchester, has played the role of garage mechanic Kevin Webster for 30 years, making him one of the longest-serving performers in Coronation Street.

An ITV spokesman said: "Given the serious nature of these charges, Michael Le Vell will not be appearing in Coronation Street pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

"It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."

'Blade runner' Pistorius weeps in court over murder charges - CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/15/world/africa/south-africa-pistorius-court/index.html

'Blade runner' Pistorius weeps in court over murder charges

Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- South African sports icon Oscar Pistorius wept uncontrollably Friday when a judge charged him in the killing of his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

Pistorius' body shook, his head buried in his hands, as he appeared in court over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, who was found at his home Thursday in an upscale Pretoria neighborhood.

The 26-year-old, nicknamed "Blade Runner," for his Olympic debut last year with artificial legs, was arrested the same day.

Neighbors alerted authorities to the early morning shooting, saying they had "heard things earlier," according to Denise Beukes, a police spokeswoman. She did not clarify what the neighbors heard.

Local media reported that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder, but the police spokeswoman said those reports did not come from authorities.

There was no evidence of forced entry at the home, she said.

Police gave no motive for the alleged killing but said there had been "previous incidents" at the home, including "allegations of a domestic nature." They did not provide details.

A pistol was recovered at the scene, police said.

South Africa has a high crime rate, and many homeowners keep weapons to ward off intruders.

Police to oppose bail

Pistorius, a Paralympic runner, blazed new terrain by competing in last summer's Olympics.

After the alleged shooting, shock waves quickly reverberated across the world, casting a shadow over the man known as the "Blade Runner" for his achievements on prosthetic limbs.

Four years ago, he was arrested and accused of common assault, but the case was thrown out because of lack of evidence, authorities said.

That incident involved Pistorius allegedly slamming a door during a party, and a piece of the door fell off and hit someone, Capt. Marissa Van der Merwe said.

Police are not aware of any prior incidents between the runner and his girlfriend, according to Van der Merwe.

The runner's spokeswoman, Kate Silvers, said the athlete is "assisting the police with their investigation" but there will be no further comment until matters become clearer.

The state will oppose bail, authorities said. They did not provide their reasons for opposing bail.

Controversy nothing new for Pistorius

The double amputee competed against able-bodied runners during the London Olympics, triggering controversy, as some said the prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage.

His legs were amputated below the knee when he was a toddler because of a bone defect. He runs on special carbon fiber blades.

Pistorius was initially refused permission to enter the Olympics, but he hired a legal team to prove that his artificial limbs did not give him an unfair advantage -- and was allowed to compete.

While he did not win a medal, his presence on the track was lauded as an example of victory over adversity and dedication to a goal.

He smashed a Paralympic record to win the men's 400m T44 in the final athletics event of the 2012 Games.

In an October, he discussed the "massive blessing" of inspiring people around the world.

"Being an international sportsman, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that," he told CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight.

As more developments evolved, Nike pulled an ad featuring Pistorius from its website. It showed him taking off for a run, and the words" I am the bullet in the chamber."

Other Pistorius sponsors -- including prosthetics manufacturer Ossur, British Telecom, and Oakley, which makes sunglasses and other products -- expressed condolences and said they had no further comment at this time.

CNN's Nkepile Mabuse reported from Pretoria and Faith Karimi reported from Atlanta. CNN's Josh Levs and Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report

Transocean pleads guilty, fined 2nd-biggest penalty for Gulf spill - CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/14/justice/transocean-deepwater-fine/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1

Transocean pleads guilty, fined 2nd-biggest penalty for Gulf spill

Workers clean a beach in South Pass, Louisiana, in May 2010 after the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill.

(CNN) -- Transocean Deepwater Inc. will pay the second-largest environmental fine in U.S. history for its role in the deadly 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Justice Department said Thursday.

The company was sentenced to pay $400 million and other penalties after it pleaded guilty in a Louisiana federal court Thursday to violating the Clean Water Act by its illegal conduct leading to the disaster, Attorney General Eric Holder said.

Eleven workers were killed when the Transocean oil rig exploded. The blast and ensuing fire damaged the rig, causing 4.9 million barrels of oil to spill into the Gulf, according to a 2011 report by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.

The nation's largest environmental crime penalty was the $4 billion paid by BP Exploration and Production Inc. for its role in the disaster, federal authorities said. BP contracted Transocean to do the drilling and had BP officials on the rig.

"Transocean's guilty plea and sentencing are the latest steps in the department's ongoing efforts to seek justice on behalf of the victims of the Deepwater Horizon disaster," said Holder.

Most of the $400 million will be used to restore and rebuild the Gulf coast region, authorities said.

"The Deepwater Horizon explosion was a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided," Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said in a statement. "With today's guilty plea, BP and Transocean have now both been held criminally accountable for their roles in this disaster."

U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo of the Eastern District of Louisiana accepted Transocean's guilty plea, which it agreed to in a deal with the government in January.

In its plea, Transocean admitted that its crew on the Deepwater Horizon rig was acting at the direction of BP's well site leaders and were "negligent in failing to investigate fully clear indications that the Macondo well was not secure and that oil and gas were flowing into the well," the Justice Department said.

The Macondo well was the source of the oil spill.

Under the plea agreement, Transocean was also sentenced to five years of probation, the maximum term of probation under law, the Justice Department said.

A separate proposal for a civil consent decree is pending before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier of the Eastern District of Louisiana, and that proposal would impose a record $1 billion civil Clean Water Act penalty, the Justice Department said.

Activists: Saudi women arrested at detention protests - CNN.com

A new revolution in Saudi Arabia is emerging, and apparently the women freedom will be the reason. It is surprising that the women who will start the revolution in Saudi Arabia, which indicates how men's rights are compromised in such a dictatorship ruled country.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/09/world/meast/saudi-arabia-protests/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Activists: Saudi women arrested at detention protests

(CNN) -- Dozens of women and at least five children were arrested on Saturday after demonstrations were held in two Saudi cities, Riyadh and Buraida, according to human rights activists. The women were demanding the release of relatives they say have been held for years without access to lawyers or a trial, the activists said.

Mohammed Al-Qahtani, a prominent activist currently on trial in Saudi Arabia on charges that include breaking allegiance to the Saudi king, told CNN the women who were protesting are "female relatives of political prisoners."

"They are asking the authorities to either take these prisoners to court," said Al-Qahtani, "or set them free."

In the capital city of Riyadh, one activist who was part of the demonstration said it was held outside a building that houses one of the country's government-backed human rights groups.

The activist, who requested anonymity for fear for her safety, said she had to quickly flee the scene to avoid arrest. About 50 women demonstrated there, and at least two of them had been arrested as police tried to disperse the crowd, she said.

"They went out there today to ask that their relatives be freed," said the activist. "They have been in prison for a long time and have had no lawyer and no trial."

According to two other activists, three of the women arrested in Riyadh were the wife and daughter and granddaughter of Suleiman al-Rashudi, a political activist who was arrested in December after giving a lecture in which he said protests were permitted in Islam.

Al-Rashudi previously spent five years in detention and was found guilty last year of, among other things, financing terrorism, incitement against the king and attempting to seize power.

One amateur video purportedly shot at the scene shows women, some who brought their children, chanting, "The people call for the liberation of the prisons."

In Buraida, the provincial capital of deeply conservative Qassim Province, activists say at least 26 women protested and were arrested outside the city's Board of Grievances on Saturday -- the scene of a similar protest in early January.

Many of the women brought their children, who they say were also arrested.

One of the female protesters, Um Abdullah, spoke to CNN by phone as she was being held in a police station in Buraida.

"I demonstrated for the release of my husband, Abdulmalek Al-Muqdin," explained Um Abdullah, "who has been in jail without charge for 12 years."

According to Um Abdullah, whose son was detained alongside her, the police told her and the other women that they would be released if they signed a piece of paper that would compel them to show up at any government office if summoned to do so, but the women refused to do so.

One amateur video posted online purports to show several of the women, and some of the children, in the back of a police bus after having been detained. In the video, the women express solidarity with the political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

Despite repeated efforts, CNN has been unable to reach Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry for comment. Protests are prohibited in Saudi Arabia.

In early January, a small group of women held a demonstration in the same part of Buraida, calling for the release of detained family members. Their arrest, a short time later, caused great outrage and sparked several days of small protests in various cities.

Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry confirmed to CNN later in the month that the women were eventually all released.

When asked in late January about demonstrators' claims that their relatives are political prisoners who should be released, Interior Ministry Spokesman Major Gen. Mansour Al-Turki told CNN that Saudi government officials would not comment on cases currently being "looked at by the courts.

Egyptian Corporate Lawyer: Egypt's Cabinet provisionally approves anti-tortur...

Egyptian Corporate Lawyer: Egypt's Cabinet provisionally approves anti-tortur...: http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/ Egypt's Cabinet provisionally approves anti-torture law - Politics - E...