In the News

Today the House of Representatives adopted a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced by Representatives Connolly (VA), Wolf (VA), and Schneider (IL) that expands an existing report to include information on how the Egyptian military is supporting the rights of individuals in civil society and democratic promotion efforts. 

Earlier this month an Egyptian court rendered a guilty verdict against 43 non-governmental (NGO) workers, including 17 Americans, for their involvement with pro-democracy groups. This verdict renews concerns about Egypt’s commitment to democratic principles. 

“The United States supports the aspirations of the Egyptian people to become a free and fair society, in which all NGOs—regardless of their nation of origin— are allowed to operate freely,” Connolly said. 

“If the U.S. government and the American people are to have any confidence that the Egyptian government is undertaking a genuine transition to a democratic state, under civilian control, where the freedoms of assembly, association, religion, and expression are guaranteed and the rule of law is upheld, then we must see a swift and satisfactory resolution to this case,” said Connolly.

“Our amendment would further support the transition to democracy by requiring the Pentagon report on how Egyptian military activities contribute to an atmosphere where pro-democracy NGOs can operate freely.”

Representatives Connolly and Wolf are currently circulating a bipartisan letter urging the Egyptian President Morsi to immediately reconsider the court action and permit the NGOs to continue their work. Currently, 50 Members of Congress have signed the letter.

The full text of the letter is below.

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Dear President Morsi,

We write to express severe disappointment in the June 4th guilty verdict rendered by an Egyptian court against 43 non-governmental organizations’ (NGO) workers—a diverse group that included 17 Americans. The verdict calls into serious question Egypt’s progress toward an open society and raises key concerns about Egypt’s commitment to democratic principles in a post-revolutionary context.

In the aftermath of the December 2011 raids against NGO offices in Egypt, friends of Egypt in the United States urged caution and patience, expressing optimism that Egyptian authorities would properly handle the matter. However, since seizing records, electronic equipment, and hard currency from the NGO offices, Egyptian authorities reneged on their word that the situation would be appropriately resolved. Despite mixed signals followed by a decision to prosecute, U.S. officials patiently waited for a fair conclusion. We do not consider the June 4th guilty verdict a fair conclusion.

We urge an immediate dismissal of charges against all 43 NGO workers. The United States supports the aspirations of the Egyptian people to become a free and fair society, in which all NGOs—regardless of their nation of origin— are allowed to operate freely, and we cannot in good conscience ignore the results of the June 4th trial. This verdict comes on the heels of a draft NGO law that further restricts NGOs, fails to meet Egypt’s international commitments in terms of freedom of association, and lends credence to the opinion that there is an ongoing war against civil society in Egypt.

We urge you to immediately reconsider this matter and return confiscated property to the NGOs, dismiss charges against all NGO workers, and permit them to continue their work supporting a free, fair and open and democratic society. In order for the U.S. government and the American people to have any confidence that the Egyptian government is undertaking a genuine transition to a democratic state, under civilian control, where the freedoms of assembly, association, religion and expression are guaranteed and rule of law is upheld, we must see a swift and satisfactory resolution to this case that takes into full account the concerns expressed in this letter, including revisions to the proposed NGO law.  A certification that the government of Egypt is implementing policies to guarantee these pillars of a free society, as required by law, seems impossible under the present circumstances.

Sincerely,

                    Gerald E. Connolly                                                Frank Wolf

                    Member of Congress                                           Member of Congress