admin
activities of some NGOs in their country were not meant for human rights, but political purposes.
The decision also came a few days after Egyptian investigators prevented four US citizens from leaving Egypt pending investigations. Among those affected with the travel ban is the head of the US-based International Republican Institute office, Sam LaHood, son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Investigations showed 67 evidences about the involvement of the accused people in illegal foreign funding of NGOs, judges Sameh Abu Zeid and Ashraf el-Ashmaawi were quoted as saying Wednesday.
The raid saw the Egyptian government arresting over 40 NGO workers among them 19 Americans, a development that has irked the United States administration, which has threatened to withdraw aid from the North African country, which is also one of its long-term allies.
US Senator John Kerry Wednesday threatened Egypt’s military rulers that the planned trial of the NGO workers was a “slap in the face” for America that could damage their close relationship. The Egyptian military receives more than one billion US dollars of aid annually.
University of Zimbabwe Political Science lecturer, Dr Charity Manyeruke said the move by the Egyptian government was meant to restore order and bring peace in the country by flushing out elements that fomented civil unrest.
“The situation has been chaotic due to a lot of infiltration by outsiders who want to create disorder for obvious reasons like oil,” she said.
“What we have to understand is that security threats are determined by the State not outsiders and in this case, the Egyptians are trying to put their house in order so they should be allowed to monitor the activities of organisations that are a threat (to national security).”
Dr Manyeruke said conditions given by the US of withdrawing aid from Egypt were in itself interference with domestic politics.
Another political analyst, Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said Americans have a tradition of illegally changing governments that do not represent their interests.
“During the Ronald Reagan era in 1983, the Americans formed something called the National Endowment for Democracy which is an NGO that is funded by the US government with the mandate of pursuing American interests.
“All NGOs that are funded through NED do promote regime change and the incident in Egypt awakens the rest of the world to (the) evil machinations of the US in effecting regime change,” he said. Mr Mureriwa said the US’ double standards have been exposed by this latest development where they want to stop funding Egypt because of its policies.
The Americans, he said, supported the Arab Spring that resulted in the fall of Egyptian leader president Hosni Mubarak, but were now against the status quo. He said that Americans helped in ousting Mubarak.
Mr Mureriwa added that the US was pushing for the bombardment of Syria just like they did in Libya. “Americans are mostly interested in pushing for their (strategic) interests”.
Judge Abu Zeid was quoted Wednesday as saying that from the investigations, five NGOs were international organisations with branches all over the world created for political activities and not humanitarian purposes.
He said the accused people had not respected Egyptian laws as they worked in Egypt using tourist visas, and under instructions from abroad. They also violated Egyptian tax laws.
Judge Abu Zeid said the inspection of the NGOs offices revealed money, cheques and financial transfers.
Egypt on Monday released the names of all 44 suspects, who included foreigners and Egyptians, whom the country plans to bring to justice over the illegal funding. They will be charged with running and establishing branches of foreign organisations and receiving foreign funds and spending them on their activities without permission from the Egyptian government, the official MENA news agency reported. – The Herald.
Online Reporter