Right report

By Salama A Salama

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A few days ago the National Council on Human Rights (NCHR) issued a report on the state of freedoms and human rights in Egypt. This was the first such report to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and one can safely state that it broke new ground. For one thing, it spoke candidly about the rights situation in the country. In tone and substance, it wasn't much different from the reports issued by Egypt's 23 independent human rights groups.

Many used to regard the NCHR with scepticism reserved for all official agencies. One would expect the NCHR reports to be inaccurate, apologetic, or both. The NCHR confined itself in many instances to recording facts without criticising security practices in the country, or the prevalent abuse of human rights.

The report was surprising on more than one count. For one thing, it was edited by Hossam Al-Badrawi, a key figure in the ruling National Democratic Party's (NDP) Policies Committee. Generally seen as a reformist, Al-Badrawi is highly regarded by many politicians both inside and outside the NDP.

For a key figure of the NDP to put his name on such a report is perhaps a sign of divisions in the party ahead of an uncertain power struggle, for so far the question of succession in the presidency remains unresolved. Of course, the presence of veteran legal experts, such as Kamal Abul-Magd, in the NCHR may have helped produce an impressive first report to be submitted to the Geneva UNHRC.

The report reviews the constitutional framework in which laws concerning the state of emergency have been amended. It criticises the amendment, for the latter has allowed the government to pass an anti-terror law that is unconstitutional in certain parts, such as those allowing the judiciary to interfere in investigation procedures, and those allowing the president to refer suspects to military courts.

The report notes the inadequacy of legislation concerning torture crimes. It calls for laws that ensure that torturers are punished. The report also calls for the release of individuals who have been freed by courts but then rearrested by the police, a practice that has become common in Egypt. The report denounces the trial of civilians in military courts, emergency state security courts, and all forms of extraordinary trials.

The report calls for freedom of expression for bloggers, saying that this freedom would encourage participation in political and cultural life. It urges the passing of laws to protect the freedom of the exchange of information.

In addition, the report calls for proportional representation in elections and for a revision of electoral monitoring procedures. It advises a revision of voter lists and calls for citizens to be allowed to vote simply by showing their national ID cards.

I don't want to go into detail about the drawbacks of Egyptian political life, or the inadequacy of economic, social and cultural rights in the country. But I shall say that when such a serious report is issued by a council dominated by the NDP, some people may get the wrong impression. To be more specific, they may get the impression that the government is about to clean up its act.

In fact, past reports by the NCHR have mentioned the same drawbacks and made the same recommendations, and nothing happened. So, it is fair to assume, we may still wake up tomorrow and find that dozens have been arrested for no good reason or held without trial, or held in unknown locations.

I don't like it when people are given a false sense of security. It is good to write reports and send them to the UN. But the UN cannot succeed where we have failed.