Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression

Wanton violation of students’ right to self determination Ministry of Higher Education issues students bylaws without their consultation

emadxtc — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:01:59 +0000

AFTE strongly condemns the ministerial decree issued by the ministry of higher education yesterday endorsing new students bylaws, regulating students’ movements and activities inside Egyptian universities.

News leaking over the past few days that the minister of higher education was preparing the bylaws without the knowledge or consultation of students had stirred protest actions in several universities, example of which is the collective resignation of the student’s union of the faculty of medicine, Alexandria university protesting the minister’s intention to endorse the bylaws through a ministerial decree without a nationwide referendum among students.

Freedom to Nile News AFTE condemns the persecution of Egyptian TV media staff Media Freedom Program

emadxtc — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:19:16 +0000

AFTE expresses its full solidarity with Ihab El Mergawi, director at Nile News channel against the intimidation and administrative punitive measures that started against him on Thursday the 9^th of February. El Mergawi had raised a banner of “Freedom to Nile News’ in the background of the studio during the broadcast of “El Mashhad” program on Nile News. He was fist suspended from work for 15 days and then referred to a disciplinary committee on Sunday the 19^th of February at 1 p.m. at the office of legal affairs

Orchestrated campaign against human rights organizations: Facts absent; the public intentionally misled

emadxtc — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:32:36 +0000

The undersigned organizations strongly condemn the ongoing slandering and intimidation of civil society organizations, particularly human rights groups, and note that the referral of 43 Egyptian and foreign nationals to a criminal court is politically motivated. The affected institutions have been operating for several years without being asked to suspend their activities and without their offices being shut down. Moreover, in October the Egyptian government asked two of these organizations to monitor the parliamentary elections,

AFTE releases its report Maspero Crimes Inciting violence and sectarian tensions.. Misleading public opinion

emadxtc — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:35:27 +0000

AFTE released a thematic report concerning the performance of the radio and TV union in covering some important events, foremost the Maspero events last October and the Mohamed Mahmud street events last November. The report addresses the many accusations of incitement and misinformation of official mass media after the 25^th of January revolution, especially the Radio and TV union, the only governmental body which monopolizes the official mass media channels which constitute 58% of all media channels according to a report produced by the center for the support of decision making in 2010, i.e

SCAF incites public against protesters

emadxtc — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:39:45 +0000

AFTE strongly condemns statements by general Abdel Moneim Kato, SCAF consultant for morale affairs to El Shoruk daily Egyptian newspaper in its 19 December 2011 issue where the newspaper quoted the military consultant as saying “the media protects the criminals” asking the Shoruk interviewer “How do you sympathize with misfit kids who should be burnt in Hitler’s ovens?”

AFTE demands that officials provide accurate information regarding gas used against protesters

emadxtc — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:40:43 +0000

AFTE demands that official bodies, specifically the ministries of health and interior and the supreme council of military forces provide clear and accurate information concerning the tear gas recently used in dispersing the Tahrir sit in and in the Mohamed Mahmud confrontation between protesters and central security forces.

Crisis of Human Rights in Egypt The Bitter Results of Ten Months in the Grip of the Military

emadxtc — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:43:57 +0000

On the 19^th of November, 2011, Egyptians took to the streets and squares of Egypt once more in peaceful protest, demanding a true civil, democratic state consistent with their dreams of last January. These peaceful, unarmed protestors were met with excessive force by police and soldiers of the armed forces, leading to the deaths of dozens of Egyptians and the injury of more than 3000 others.

Together: for the release of activist Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja

emadxtc — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:12:46 +0000

The undersigned express serious concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain and the insistence of the Bahraini government to use force against civil society and human rights activists. They are also involving the judiciary in political issues and the trial of these activists before military tribunals, which is in clear violation of the provisions of Article 14 of the International Covenant on civil and Political Rights and right to fair trial. As a result, harsh sentences are meted out to them simply for exercising rights and freedoms guaranteed to them under international and national laws.

In the eighth anniversary of the International “Right to Know” Day, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression launches the first Egyptian website specialized in the “Right to know”

emadxtc — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:18:11 +0000

Hundreds of national and international civil society organizations celebrate the 28 of September of each year as the International “Right to Know” Day; which was launched for the first time in 2003 after the establishment of the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet) in the Bulgarian Capital “Sophia”. FOIAnet is an organization that included dozens of representatives from national and international NGOs working in the defense of freedom of information. It might be interesting here to note that despite the establishment of this day globally as the “right to know” day, it was not adopted by any international body such as the United Nations, only by civil society organizations.

Security continues to interfere in Egyptian Universities Cairo university sends names of candidates to “National Security”

emadxtc — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:50:18 +0000

AFTE condemns the flagrant interference by national security authorities – previously known as state security investigations, in internal university affairs as before the 25th of January revolution.

A number of Egyptian newspapers, including El Masry El Youm, El Dostour, El Akhbar, over the past two days published lists of faculty members submitted by Cairo University to security authorities, including the national security authority. The list includes names of candidates for position of deans of faculties and names of electoral constituency