Una bofetada, los derechos humanos y una carta

Joaquín Mª Aguirre (UCM)

No se sabe muy bien a quién se le ocurrió la idea de la 64 sesión ordinaria de la Comisión Africana de Derechos Humanos y de los Pueblos. No parece el lugar más adecuado para celebrarla, pero no está África como para elegir demasiado. Pero el régimen egipcio tiene uno de los niveles de denuncia por infracciones  más elevado del continente. Los Derechos Humanos, según palabras de su presidente, son algo inventado fuera y que no tienen mucho sentido en Egipto. Lo ha dicho varias veces y se lo recuerdan muchas más, cada vez que hay que denunciar alguna violación de derechos.

El gobierno egipcio, por supuesto, niega todo y lo achaca a las conspiraciones universales contra el país, un intento centenario de destruirlo para evitar su grandeza. Todo el que denuncia en Egipto o fuera de él pasa a ser enemigo, como les pasó a los dos actores que participaron como invitados en un foro en Estados Unidos.

Mada Masr no cuenta lo sucedido en la reunión de la Comisión, celebrada a finales de abril en Sharm el-Sheikh entre grandes tensiones por la actitud de las autoridades y de las fuerzas de seguridad. Esta vez no se trataba de hacer un ejercicio de relaciones públicas para atraer turistas, sino más bien de todo lo contrario. Nos dicen en la publicación, que recoge un extenso informa de los incidentes y de la valoración de la estancia:

The mood was tense. Egyptian officials were refusing to issue badges to human rights workers from a number of countries — including South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda — with little explanation. The conference was scheduled to begin in two days, on April 24, and participants who had flown in from across the continent needed the badges to attend.

Tempers flared and loud arguments broke out, with shouting from both sides, which culminated in an Egyptian registration official physically assaulting a human rights worker from South Sudan.

“She was slapped. A proper slap,” says Diana Gichengo, a program manager at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, who was standing nearby. “She was the most vocal of the South Sudanese delegation, so Egyptian security hit her.”*

La bofetada dada por el funcionario a la trabajadora de Derechos Humanos es algo más que violencia física y machismo indecente. Es una muestra de la actitud de prepotencia que el gobierno Egipto mantiene hacia los derechos humanos. La respuesta a las acusaciones ya sabemos la que es desde hace mucho tiempo: quejas y lamento, desmentidos y rasgados de vestiduras cuando los medios e instituciones internacionales denuncian la situación.

La bofetada es el signo del desprecio hacia las personas que tratan de informar sobre la situación de los derechos o, como en este caso, se reúnen allí. ¿Qué sentido tiene el ofrecer el país para una reunión de este tipo y después someter a los asistentes a vejaciones y violencia? Quizá la respuesta es tan evidente que está ya contenida en la pregunta que formulamos.

El papel de la Comisión Africana de Derechos Humanos y de los Pueblos es especialmente importante en un continente que está sometido a todo tipo de violencias desde el norte hasta el sur, de golpes de estado a genocidios pasando por dictaduras y mercenarios o grupos terroristas campando a sus anchas por el continente. África es ahora mismo una gigantesca herida abierta por luchas políticas y religiosas. La Comisión es más necesaria que nunca. Pero al gobierno egipcio le resulta modesta.

Nos dicen el texto de Mada Masr:

Over the years, the commission — which acts as a quasi-judicial body — has become a trusted place for civil society representatives in Africa to raise human rights grievances, especially for cases that fail to find redress through national legal avenues. This is particularly true in Egypt, and over the past several years the commission has received more complaints from Egypt than any other country on the continent.

In response, the commission has repeatedly called on the Egyptian government to refrain from committing human rights violations, including executing victims of unfair trials, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence. However, the commission has no enforcement mechanism, and Egypt has largely ignored its recommendations.

The biannual sessions of the commission represent the largest gathering of civil society organizations in Africa, and Egypt’s bid to host the 64th session had already sparked deep concern among civil society groups and calls for a boycott in the months leading up to it. In November, sixty-five human rights groups and civil society organizations across Africa issued a public letter to the chairperson of the commission, Soyota Maiga, blasting Egypt’s “brutal crackdown on human rights” and urging her to reject the bid.

“Free and effective participation of Egyptian and non-Egyptian civil society organizations during the ACHPR’s sessions is put into question,” the letter said. “The security and safety of human rights defenders participating in this session may also not be guaranteed.”

Their fears appear to have been justified.*

Lo que se trata de hacer con estas asambleas ha tenido el efecto inverso, según se nos cuenta. Por paradójico que pueda parecer, los más afectados negativamente han sido los grupos egipcios de defensa de los Derechos Humanos, que se han visto mucho más controlados para evitar sus denuncias. De ahí la petición de que se rechazara la candidatura egipcia para la Asamblea. En ningún sitio va a ser más dificultoso que en tu propio país si se trata de denunciar la situación de los derechos humanos.

Los miembros de la Asamblea tuvieron todo tipo de problemas para poder viajar hasta Sharm el-Sheikh, en lo que fue una maniobra clara de obstaculización. En esto Egipto es el rey de la burocracia adversa. Los problemas que se pueden acumular, con pérdidas, retrasos, malentendidos, etc. son una de las especialidades de Egipto en sus conflictos, como muy bien saben los jueces italianos en su intento de hacer justicia con el secuestro, tortura y asesinato del estudiante italiano Giulio Regeni, un crimen de estado que sigue sin poderse cerrar por el obstruccionismo.

Señalan en Mada Masr:

In the run-up to the session, more than 70 activists from a number of countries including Ghana, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Uganda, among others, were either denied visas to Egypt or were only granted visas on or after their travel dates.

Those who did manage to travel to Sharm el-Sheikh say that the turnout was extremely low, due in part to the travel restrictions, but mainly because a number of organizations, particularly those focusing on LGBT rights issues, chose to boycott. Additionally, only three Egyptian nongovernmental organizations attended the session, a reflection of the unprecedented crackdown on civil society in Egypt over the past several years.

“Unfortunately we saw restrictions being imposed on Egyptian civil society organizations,” says Joseph Bikanda, the lead advocate for the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network. “When we asked why civil society in Egypt did not attend, an Egyptian government official told us it was because there was no translation provided. What, none of them speak any English? It was all fabricated.”*

El desprecio prepotente de la respuesta dada muestra una vez más la situación de los derechos humanos y la impunidad administrativa con la que el régimen actúa. Es una marca del estado egipcio, muestra el sentido de la propiedad que tienen respecto a las instituciones y cómo se deja fuera a todo el que interese marginar.

La situación de los activistas de derechos es cada día más penosa y cada vez están más rodeados de silencio, más aislados. Al régimen le interesa controlar la imagen exterior e interior.

La bofetada dada a la activista de Derechos Humanos es una manera clara de mostrar el desprecio hacia las personas, hacia los derechos humanos (la propia bofetada muestra la falta de respeto) y hacia los llegados de fuera, invitados del país, que presentó su candidatura.

En su resolución final, se nos dice en su punto 6º:

[...] The Forum adopted several resolutions and requests containing a number of recommendations and appeals. Mrs. Forster also highlighted the conclusions of the Forum on the positive and negative developments in the human rights situation in Africa. Furthermore, while thanking the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the hospitality shown to participants of the Forum, she noted the low level of participation of civil society actors in the proceedings of the Forum, in comparison to past editions, due to visa-related issues.**

En el punto 16; se recogen en exclusiva los obstáculos a los visados puestos por el régimen egipcio a los participantes:

The Chairperson expressed the Commission’s regret to all civil society stakeholders who, due to difficulties in obtaining visas in their respective countries, were unable to travel to Sharm El-Sheikh, despite the guarantees obtained by the Commission from the host country prior to the Session.**

En otros puntos se dan las gracias a la República de Egipto y a su pueblo por la amabilidad mostrada. La carta a la que da salida Mada Masr, firmada por otros asistentes, da otra versión menos diplomática de la Asamblea. Ya es bastante con los dos aspectos señalados oficialmente: la baja participación de la sociedad civil en la asamblea y los problemas a los que llegaban desde el exterior para la consecución de los visados.

El 24 de abril, participante en la Asamblea dirigían a la presidente la siguiente carta, que reproducimos íntegra, criticando fuertemente lo ocurrido en Egipto y las acciones del gobierno:

Mrs. Soyata Maiga,

Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Banjul, Gambia

Dear Chairperson,

Re: Protest Petition against the poor treatment accorded to civil society organisations during the 38th forum of the NGO forum preceding the 64th session of the ordinary session in Sharma El Sheikh Egypt.

On behalf of civil society organisations generally, and on the authority of  the NGO Forum ahead of the 64th ordinary session of the African Commission on  Human and Peoples Rights in Sharma El Sheikh Egypt specifically, we convey our greetings and goodwill to you and the honourable members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. As representatives of the various peoples of Africa, we, in the civil society, are  pleased with the transformation of the Commission from what was considered to be a toothless institution into a respected guardian of human rights in our continent. We are especially proud of the contribution that civil society has made to this transformation and the results that have been achieved when civil society is allowed to work in mutual cooperation with the Commission and States Parties to the African Charter. This was possible because of the acknowledgement that the space for civil society participation is an essential condition  for the realisation of an Africa that exists for its people and not just for governments.

It is against this background that we are now constrained to express and register our deep concern and frustration at events that over the last few weeks threaten to disrupt the cordial working relationship that has existed within the African human rights community. As stakeholders and equal partners in the African project, civil society made the decision to support the African Commission by participating massively at the 64th Session holding in Egypt in spite of our conviction that the human rights records of the Egyptian Government were indicative of an unwelcoming posture towards human rights and human rights defenders. Despite our fears and against the advice of some of our colleagues who anticipated either a backlash or thinly veiled obstruction from the government of Egypt, civil society activists from all over Africa took the bold step to participate, in the hope that the Session would open space for genuine conversations with a view to improving the human rights records of the Government of Egypt in accordance with its obligations to its people as a State Party to the African Charter.

Our hopes for conciliatory cooperation from the Government of Egypt have not entirely been met as evidenced by the treatment that civil society activists have received in the build up to the session and during the NGO Forum that preceded the Session. We invite the Chairperson to note for instance, that despite early applications for visas submitted by civil society actors as delegates to the NGO Forum and the 64th Session and in spite of full assurances received from representatives of the Government of Egypt, a good number of prospective delegates were not given visas. Activists from a number of countries including Ghana, Malawi, Mauritania, Tunisia and Uganda amongst others, were either denied visas or were only granted visas on or after their indicated travel dates. These actions deliberately or unwittingly obstruct the implementation of the African Charter and may even constitute a violation of Article 1 of the Charter which requires the Government of Egypt to do everything necessary to ensure implementation of the Charter.

We are particularly alarmed  by the fact that identification badges for the NGO participation at the 64th session are being issued by officials from the Arab republic of Egypt rather than the secretariat of the ACHPR. This derogation goes a long way to undermine the protection mandate of the commission and its independence. It also significantly risks jeopardising the participation of NGOs from Egypt. So far,we have painfully watched the significant difficulties faced by NGOs delegates from Sudan, South Sudan, and Tanzania in acquiring badges. The difficulties have escalated to the level of direct threats to human rights defenders resulting in physical assault of a woman human rights defender by the registration officials from the republic of Egypt.

Madam Chairperson, the NGO Forum that precedes the Session  has great utility because  it creates space for robust conversations on the overall state of human rights in Africa and the various human rights issues that have emerged in the inter-session period. Participants at the NGO Forum are entitled to enjoyment of the fundamental rights to assembly and association necessary for enjoyment of the freedom of expression and other  fundamental rights and freedoms without any interference from the authorities. It is therefore with strong dismay that we noted the strange trend where the conference centre and hotels within the vicinity of the Conference Centre in Sharm el Sheik denied civil society organisations and delegates to the NGO Forum meeting space. The denial of these facilities reinforce reports of the heavy handedness with which the Government of Egypt crushes dissent, discourages popular participation in the public space and punishes people who dare to claim basic human rights.

As a voluntary host of the 64th Session of the African Commission, we believe that the Government of Egypt does not only owe an international obligation to respect the African Commission and other Governments participating at the session, but it owes an equal and even higher duty to allow unobstructed participation by national and international civil society actors. The near absence of Egyptian NGOs and CSOs at these forums and the difficulties experienced by continental civil society actors is therefore completely unacceptable and deserves condemnation in the strongest terms. The clamp down of the media in Egypt and the various other means by which the civic space is reduced raises credible concerns on the motivation for hosting the Session in Egypt. We invite the African Commission to seriously consider and raise these concerns with the State of Egypt in the consideration of its Country Report during the session.

We call on the commission to express our displeasure and disappointment with the Arab Republic of Egypt. Further, we call on the commission to take all measures to ensure that human rights violations in Egypt are not whitewashed by this halfhearted offer to host the 64th commission. We also urge the commission to ensure that views of the people of Egypt including women and those in exile are taken into account during the country review.

Kindly accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Participants of the 38th NGO Forum ahead of the 64th ordinary session of the African Commission on  Human and Peoples Rights in Sharma El Sheikh Egypt On Behalf of the NGO forum***

La carta, entregada el primer día de la Asamblea,  no puede ser más clara.

Una vez más, el gobierno egipcio ha querido darle la vuelta a lo que podrían ser críticas. La resolución final ha quedado llena de los propósitos y grandes avances, desde su perspectiva, realizados por Egipto. Es decir, convirtió una reunión internacional sobre derechos humanos, un espacio para las voces sociales que se enfrentan cada día a los excesos autoritarios de los estados, en un acto propagandístico, como casi todo lo que usa. Realizó un ejercicio hipócrita de aceptar ser el anfitrión para luego dejar fuera a los que podían decirle a la cara el estado de los derechos humanos.

Pero de nuevo, la presunta inteligencia del régimen no ha hecho sino dejar al aire sus profundas carencias democráticas, el desprecio por los Derechos Humanos y, esta vez añadido, el desprecio hacia la Asamblea Africana y sus integrantes, un órgano esencial para la transformación de África.

Los párrafos finales del artículo de Mada Masr son claros:

When Sisi took over as head of the African Union this past February, rights groups warned that his chairmanship could undermine the independence of regional human rights mechanisms on the continent.

“Egypt is the principal driver of weak human rights and accountability institutions in Africa,” Gichengo says. “This was all part of a grand scheme to undermine the commission.”*

La bofetada dada es un detalle significativo del respeto que merecen los derechos humanos al régimen. No son buenas las perspectivas de los derechos humanos si se siguen interpretando "a la egipcia". Recordemos que el presidente del comité parlamentario de Derechos Humanos, una vez que eliminaron al diputado Mohamed Anwar Sadat, sobrino del que fuera presidente egipcio, fue sustituido por un  oficial de policía. Es la forma del gobierno de entenderlo.

* "Intimidation, surveillance, restrictions: African human rights officials describe mistreatment by Egyptian security in Sharm el-Sheikh" Mada Masr 4/06//2019 https://madamasr.com/en/2019/06/04/feature/politics/intimidation-surveillance-restrictions-african-human-rights-officials-describe-mistreatment-by-egyptian-security-in-sharm-el-sheikh/

** "Final Communiqué of the 64th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights" AFRICAN UNION http://www.achpr.org/files/sessions/64th_os/info/communique64/64os_final_communique_eng.pdf

*** "24 April, 2019. ACHPR64: Protest petition against the treatment accorded to CSOs during the NGO forum"  African Defenders https://africandefenders.org/achpr64-protest-petition-against-the-treatment-accorded-to-csos-during-the-ngo-forum/