Egypt: National and International Human Rights Organizations are Under Attack

The undersigned organizations are deeply concerned about reports of attacks against NGOs in Egypt. Egyptian security forces, in uniform and in civilian clothes, as well as public prosecutors, are reported to have stormed the offices of six NGOs this Thursday 29 December 2011: the Arab Center for Independence of Justice and Legal Professions (ACIJP) the Budgetary and Human Rights Observatory, Future Centre for Judicial Studies, the Cairo and Assuit offices of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republic Institute (IRI), and Freedom House. Egyptian public TV and radio stations announced later on the same day that security forces have raided the offices of 17 organizations, mostly human rights organizations. However, none of the news sources have identified these organizations or the reasons behind storming their offices.