A new historic judgment: The Egyptian Judiciary sides the CTUWS' rights Date: 01-04-2008
On Sunday, 30th March, 2008
A new historic judgment:  The Egyptian Judiciary sides the CTUWS' rights
The Administrative Court judged to stop the administrative decision Taken against CTUWS, and all its influences
The Administration Court - headed by Councilor Mohamed Ibraheem Keshta, Gaafar Mohamed Kasem, Nasr Mansour Soliman, Ashraf Hassan Ahmed, Magdi Saleh Elgarhy, and Adham Mahmoud (members) and Mohamed Ibraheem Ahmed Secretary – judged to stop implementation of the administrative decision taken against CTUWS refusing to register CTUWS as a non governmental organization (NGO), and all influences of this decision.
For one year, The CTUWS has become a subject to severe series of arbitrary and oppressive administrative and security measures taken against it, starting from closing its branches in the governorates until the central security forces surrounded its head office in Helwan, sealed its door with red wax, removed its electricity meter without any legal justification. As the local authorities that took those measures relied on the letters passed by the Social Solidarity Directorates, the CTUWS presented a new registration application together with the necessary documents to the Social Solidarity Directorate to be registered pursuantly to the NGOs’ Law No. 84/2002 and its executive regulations, but it was surprised to find that a decision was passed refusing its registration application because of the security bodies rejection.
It is worthy mentioning that These administrative and security procedures came after the series of assaults launched against the CTUWS by the Egyptian Trade Union Federation supported, the Ministry of Manpower and some other governmental sources who blamed the CTUWS holding it responsible for the workers protests and strikes which took place last year, The attack included different types of slanders, unfair, self-contradictory accusations, and attempted the state authorities calling them to take severe procedures against CTUWS.
It is also worthy mentioning that the CTUWSwas established eighteen years ago. It has practiced its activities through its branches in Cairo, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. It was awarded the prize of the Republic of France for Human Rights in 1999 in appreciation of its distinguished role in defending these rights on the ground, but-in spite of all these facts- it has failed since 2003 to present its registration application to the Ministry of Social Solidarity in an official manner simply because the staff of the Ministry cannot receive such an application without getting the green light from the security bodies. This can be considered a bad and sad example of the Egyptian Government's attitude to civil society, particularly to those organizations engaged in the defense and advancement of human and worker rights. Blockaded
For more than one year, the Center for Trade Union and Workers' Services (CTUWS) has been victim of a series of oppressive administrative measures. The closure of its offices, and blockading its activities have been followed by a sentence-issued in a law suit of publishing- of one year imprisonment for Kamal Abbas (CTUWS General Coordinator) who had to pay a bail of 1000 Egyptian Pounds to suspend the judgment enforcement until the court of appeal considered his appeal request and judged in the end of February to vacate the one-year imprisonment judgment.
Finally, on Sunday, 30th March 2008, the Administrative court issued its historic judgment to stop implementation of the decision taken against CTUWS, and to annual all of its influences.
The CTUWS while calling for the immediate enforcement of the Administrative Court judgment by annulling all unfair decisions to close its headquarters and to refuse its registration, it express its extreme gratitude for all who collaborated with it particularly the International and Egyptian human rights organizations, the civil society organizations, the defenders of democracy and the right of expression in Egypt and abroad and the international trade unions, movements. The CTUWS is also grateful to that bright side of the Egyptian Judiciary which helped disperse the clouds that accumulated in such a manner that made the mere breathing a difficult task.
 
The Center for Trade Union and Workers Services
(CTUWS)
Monday, March, 31st, 2008
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