Berlin, September 27, 2023
LDSF observed the refusal to issue endorsements in 4 Notary offices and 1 embassy and coercioncitizens to issue endorsements for Sisi
Law and Democracy Support Foundation observed today, on the second day of the endorsements collection phase in the Egyptian presidential elections process, continued violation by the Egyptian authorities in confiscating the right of citizens to participate in choosing their representative in the upcoming presidential elections and wasting the principle of equal opportunities between potential candidates for the presidency, which led the potential presidential candidate Ahmed El-Tantawy yesterday, Tuesday, September 26, to announce through his official Facebook page the halt of his campaign’s work for 48 hours. The researchers relied on direct interviews with victims of the violation, and through the form published on the Foundation’s website and social networks.
LDSF documented the following:-
1- Denial to issue endorsements in Notary offices:-
LDSF documented the refusal of 4 Notary offices in Cairo, Giza, Tanta, and Mahalla to issue endorsements for the potential presidential candidate Ahmed El-Tantawy.
2- Coercion by Egyptian authorities to issue endorsements for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi:-
LDSF recorded that the Egyptian authorities compelled some citizens to issue endorsements for President Sisi in Kafr El-Sheikh and Cairo governorates.
3- Denial to issue endorsements in Egyptian embassies:-
The repression did not stop at the Egyptian lands but extended beyond its borders, where the Egyptian embassy in Russia refused to issue an endorsement for a citizen who wanted to support El-Tantawy, justifying that by the absence of instructions from the Egyptian authorities to allow citizens to issue endorsements for El-Tantawy.
To report a violation click the following link : bit.ly/3RBqg57
