Assembly and peaceful demonstration is an absolute right guaranteed by Constitution and international instruments for protection of human rights committed by Egypt. From rights-based view, demonstration is a means of expression and from political view is a means of legal peaceful change. Therefore, the base should remain so in manners of those dealing with demonstrations and demonstrators.
Egypt has seen on January 25, 2011 demonstrations of Egyptian young people and political activists use their right to peaceful expression of opinion, and displaying their opposition to some of political, economic and social situation which they see as bad and obstruct with development and democratization in Egyptian society. Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, as an observer of events of the day would like to point out some important points: -
1- Maat salutes youth who came out to demonstrate and praises their good dealings, peaceful rallying, and their commit with legitimacy to maximum extent possible, especially during the first half of the day. Maat also praises handling of police with protesters during this period.
2- Maat condemns strongly violence in second half of the day, whether by police or by some protesters. Maat puts responsibility for what happened in charge of both government and Ministry of Interior from one hand and some political organizations that tried to ride the wave and board horseback of spontaneous Youth Revolution and their respectable and peaceful demands on another hand.
3- Maat asserts that gap between Egyptian government declared speech and statements issued from time to time with regard to development, employing, public services improvement, fighting corruption and guarantee integrity of general elections and actual practices in these areas, is a reason and main motivation of protests and demonstrations that came out on January 25, 2011.
4- It is in this sense; Maat believes that youth's demands, particularly with regard to improving state of economic and social rights remains legitimate demands, particularly in the light of retreat degree of fulfillment of these rights by Egyptian government in recent years and absence of justice in reaping the fruits of development. These conditions led to exacerbation of social and economic problems.
5- Maat repeats its demands, which called in report of NGOs coalition, which provided for Universal Periodic Review mechanism in August 2010, particularly with regard to cessation of emergency state and to changing law of crowd (No. 10 of 1914). Maat also calls for creation of political, legislative and procedural reforms would improve the situation of economic and social rights in Egyptian society, and meet the demands of angry youth. In addition, government's behavior towards its citizens should be transparent and communicate with them instead of isolated islands' behavior, which government takes now. If we ask ourselves, why Egyptian Prime Minister did not come out until now to interact with what happened? On the other hand, reassure angry voices and confirm that his government's response to their demands?
6- Maat demands Mr. Attorney General to open an investigation into abuses attributed to police regarding assaulting on demonstrators, firing tear gas and violating their right to peaceful protest on January 25, 2011, and then bring the perpetrators to trial. As Maat demands officials of police to make their dealing with demonstrators during the first half of the day as a model to be implemented in dealing with legal anger of Egyptian citizens.
7- Finally, we call upon Egyptian activists who came out to demand their legitimate rights, not to miss their earnings and not give opportunity to those who corrupt legitimacy of their movement, by comply with law, protect people and public property, avoid attacks on persons and respect for political dissent.