Egypt says it deported HRW delegation as it had no 'legal basis'

Egypt has termed illegal and denied entry to the Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) delegation to the country to release a report on the mass killing of protesters last year.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Interior ministry said that some news agencies published that the Egyptian officials denied entry to the HRW delegation on Sunday.

Egypt has termed illegal and denied entry to the Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) delegation to the country to release a report on the mass killing of protesters last year.

It added that the delegation had requested meeting with Egyptian authorities during their visit this month.

The said report comes a year since the mass killing of an estimated 700 opposition protesters during the Rabaa and Nahda sit-in dispersals, in one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in decades.

The agitators, supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, had been camped out around the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo for weeks when police moved in to disperse them on 14 August, using tear gas and live ammunition.

Being keen on cooperating with the organisation and as the proposed time was not favourable to officials, the organisation was informed to postpone the visit to September, it said.

It was also informed that the delegation should acquire an Egyptian visa from the department of “mission abroad” (not to acquire a tourist visa) to enter the country in advance of their visit.

In addition to the above reasons, the statement also said that the HRW had previously withdrew its request of issuing a license to be able to work in Egypt as a foreign NGO, a procedure stated in the Egyptian law, and now it wanted to continue working without any legal basis.

PTI