The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Lawyers for Democracy Initiative
Obscure and Stalled
The Democratic Path in Egypt 2014
Introduction:
This is the annual report that is released by Lawyers for Democracy Initiative, which was launched by The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information in 2014; aiming at monitoring the state of Egypt’s democratic path and determining its developments and shortcomings. The year 2014 was full of significant and influential political incidents. The repressive and extraordinary measures that have been taken by the Egyptian authorities in the wake of dispersing the sit-ins staged by the MB supporters in Rabaa Al-Adawiya in 2013 were the start to enacting a set of anti-freedoms legislations; aiming at hindering the general climate completely and confiscating the rights to peaceful protest and any political action inside the universities. Thereafter, the security bodies started to curb the freedom of expression in a dramatic way.
Nevertheless, all these measures weren’t able to cease the protests in the Egyptian streets, and didn’t achieve the stability that the authorities claimed. On the contrary, the protests escalated, and the authorities confronted them by further tough legislations and decisions, in addition to harsh verdicts that amounted to mass death sentences against hundreds of MB and NASL supporters, while the civil democratic- related activists and university students along with other political players in Egypt received prison sentences.
All such measures that were taken by the Egyptian authorities, and those that are still being taken, under which all are punishable, prompted the militant groups to insist on using violence and terrorist operations in the face of police and army men and also against the civilian population.
The year 2014 has witnessed the first presidential elections in the wake of overthrowing the Muslim Brotherhood. The elections kicked off by only two runners, in which the former minister of defense, Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, won; while the doubts over the elections integrity and the turnout rate that was proclaimed by the Supreme Committee for Elections remain unanswered.
A number questions pop up here: is Egypt moving towards democracy? Is it retreating? What are the indicators that affect the democratic path negatively or positively? This report is attempting to find an answer to those questions.
What is “Lawyers for Democracy” Initiative:
“Lawyers for democracy” is an initiative launched by The Arabic Network fro Human Rights Information (ANHRI) in 2014. It consists of a group of lawyers in a number of Egypt’s different governorates and cities to monitor the events, cases and incidents in Egypt, such as the protests, conferences, strikes and official and non-official practices that affect the democratic path in Egypt. The lawyers monitor, document all these incidents and provide the legal support for those who deserve it. And then, the initiative releases reports to elaborate the state of Egypt and its parties, media and judges with regard to the rule of law and the respect of both the freedom of expression and the democratic path.