Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Egypt (Ratification: 1958)

Article 1(a) of the Convention. Penal sanctions involving compulsory labour as a punishment for holding or expressing political views, or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. Since 1964, the Committee has been drawing the Government’s attention to certain provisions under which penal sanctions involving compulsory prison labour (pursuant to sections 16 and 20 of the Penal Code) may be imposed in situations covered by Article 1(a), namely:

• -section 178(3) of the Penal Code, as amended by Act No. 536 of 12 November 1953 and by Act No. 93 of 28 May 1995, regarding the production or possession with a view to the distribution, sale, etc., of any images which may prejudice the reputation of the country by being contrary to the truth, giving an inexact description, or emphasizing aspects which are not appropriate;
• -section 80(d) of the Penal Code, as amended by Act No. 112 of 19 May 1957, in so far as it applies to the wilful dissemination abroad by an Egyptian of tendentious rumours or information relating to the internal situation of the country for the purpose of reducing the high reputation or esteem of the State, or the exercise of any activity which will prejudice the national interest;
• -section 98(a)bis and (d) of the Penal Code, as amended by Act No. 34 of 24 May 1970, which prohibits the following: advocacy, by any means, of opposition to the fundamental principles of the socialist system of the State; encouraging aversion or contempt for these principles; constituting or participating in any association or group pursuing any of the foregoing aims, or receiving any material assistance for the pursuit of such aims;
• -sections 98(b) and (b)bis, and 174 of the Penal Code concerning advocacy of certain doctrines;
• -section 102bis of the Penal Code, as amended by Act No. 34 of 24 May 1970, regarding the dissemination or possession of means for the dissemination of news or information, false or tendentious rumours, or revolutionary propaganda which may harm public security, spread panic among the people or prejudice the public interest;
• -section 188 of the Penal Code concerning the dissemination of false news which may harm the public interest;
• -the Public Meetings Act (No. 14 of 1923), and the Meetings Act (No. 10 of 1914), granting general powers to prohibit or dissolve meetings, even in private places.

The Committee also previously noted that the following provisions are enforceable with sanctions of imprisonment for a term of up to one year which may involve an obligation to perform labour in prison:

• -section 11 of Act No. 84/2002 on non-governmental organizations prohibits associations from performing activities threatening national unity, violating public order or calling for discrimination between citizens on the grounds of race, origin, colour, language, religion or creed;
• -sections 20 and 21 of Act No. 96/1996 on the reorganization of the press prohibit the following acts: attacking the religious faith of third parties; inciting prejudice and contempt for any religious group in society; and attacking the work of public officials.

In addition, the Committee noted the Government’s explanations in its 2015 report that, Act No. 95 of 2003, which repealed Act No. 105 of 1980 concerning the establishment of state security courts, abolished the sanction of hard labour, and therefore the sanctions to which the Committee was referring had been amended. The Government also added that section 41 of Act No. 96/1996 on the reorganization of the press, as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012, specifies that detention shall not be authorized by the judge pending investigation of press related charges. Subsequent to the 2012 amendment, section 20 of the Penal Code has also been amended to provide that the judge shall hand down a sentence of hard labour whenever the period of punishment exceeds one year. The Government states that, as the penalties imposed for the violations cited in section 11 of Act No. 84 of 2002, and also those set out in sections 20 and 21 of Act No. 96/1996, are for less than one year, they are not incompatible with the Convention.

With regard to the Government’s explanations on the abolition of the sanction of “hard labour”, the Committee observed that under section 20 of the Penal Code, penalties of imprisonment still involve compulsory prison labour. The Committee drew the Government’s attention to the fact that the application of the Convention is not restricted to sentences of “hard labour” or other particularly arduous forms of labour, as opposed to ordinary prison labour. The Convention prohibits the use of “any form” of compulsory prison labour, as a sanction for holding or expressing political views, or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system.

Finally, the Committee noted the Government’s indication that Act No. 10 of 1914 which grants general powers to prohibit or dissolve meetings, even in private places, only prohibits assemblies which threaten public peace, and the penalties specified in this Act do not include imprisonment, unless the persons assembled have weapons, cause any death, or inflict intentional damage on public buildings and bodies, which reflects a violation of public peace. Moreover, Law No. 107 of 2013 on the right to public meetings and peaceful assemblies repealed Act No. 14 of 1923 on public meetings. According to the Government, Act No. 107 only punishes acts which violate the rules regulating the holding of meetings, processions and peaceful demonstrations.

While having noted the above explanations, the Committee observed that the European Parliament and the UN Human Rights Council had referred to Law No. 107 of 2013 on the right to public meetings and peaceful assemblies, and had called on the Government to end all acts of violence, intimidation and censorship against political dissenters, journalists and trade unionists. In this regard, the Committee urged the Government to take the necessary measures to bring the above legislation into conformity with the Convention.

The Committee notes with regret an absence of information on this point in the Government’s report. The Committee observes that in a joint letter dated 29 July 2016 (Case No. EGY7/2016) issued by several bodies of the United Nations, including the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 24/7, 24/5, 24/6, 25/13 and 25/18) underlined that Law No. 107 of 2013, which severely limits freedom of peaceful assembly and association, is regularly invoked by the authorities to crack down on protesters with excessive or unnecessary force to disperse unauthorized demonstrations and other public gatherings, often resulting in serious injuries, detention and sometimes even death of protesters. According to the same document, nearly 60,000 persons have been detained for political reasons from July 2013 to July 2016.

The Committee further notes that in his report presented to the UN General Assembly in June 2017, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, reiterated his utmost concern at the past year’s serious escalation of the crackdown on independent civil society, including on human rights defenders, lawyers, trade unions, journalists, political opponents and protestors in Egypt. The Special Rapporteur received a large amount of information regarding interrogations, judicial harassment, torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, unfair trials, asset freezes, travel bans and closure orders of civil society organizations in Egypt. He expressed particular concern that the abovementioned persons appear to be targeted for peacefully carrying out their human rights activities as well as for legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association. He underlines that such attacks may be representative of intent by the authorities to intimidate and silence media, trade unions, organizations and human rights defenders operating in Egypt (A/HRC/35/28/Add.3, paragraph 548).

In view of the above, the Committee deplores that despite the comments it has been making for a number of years, the Meetings Act (No. 10 of 1914), Act No. 107 of 2013 on the right to public meetings and peaceful assemblies, Act No. 84/2002 on non-governmental organizations, Act No. 1 of 2012 on the reorganization of the press, as well as sections 80, 98, 102, 174 and 188 of the Penal Code, have not been amended to bring them into conformity with the Convention. The Committee once again recalls that restrictions on fundamental rights and liberties, including freedom of expression, may have a bearing on the application of the Convention if such measures are enforced by sanctions involving compulsory labour. Referring to its General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, 2012, paragraph 302, the Committee points out that the range of activities which must be protected from punishment involving compulsory labour, under Article 1(a), include the freedom to express political or ideological views (which may be exercised orally or through the press and other communications media), as well as various other generally recognized rights, such as the right of association and of assembly, through which citizens seek to secure the dissemination and acceptance of their views, and which may also be affected by measures of political coercion. The Committee finally emphasizes that the protection conferred by the Convention is not limited to the expression or manifestation of opinions diverging from established principles; even if certain activities aim to bring about fundamental changes in state institutions, such activities are protected by the Convention as long as they do not resort to or call for violent means to these ends. The Committee therefore once again urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that no prison sentences involving compulsory labour are imposed on persons who, without having recourse to violence, express political opinions or views opposed to the established political, social or economic system. The Committee expresses the firm hope that the necessary measures will be taken to bring the above legislation into conformity with the Convention, and requests the Government to provide information on the progress made in this regard.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.

[The Government is asked to reply in full to the present comments in 2018.]