Egypt's rulers put aid at risk with NGO trial

By Anne-Beatrice Clasmann Feb 7, 2012, 14:01 GMT

Cairo/Istanbul - Teargas hangs over central Cairo and dozens injured in long-running political demonstrations crowd the hospitals - but Egyptian judicial authorities seem more preoccupied with prosecuting foreign organizations accused of financing political projects in their country.

The proceedings directed against a number of organizations based in the United States and Germany suggest that there has been little change in Egyptian politics since the fall of the government of Hosny Mubarak last year.

The old repressive structures continue to operate the way they did during his 30 years in power, in the view of observers.

Investigating judges referred 43 people who work at non-government organizations, including 19 US citizens and two Germans, to trial for allegedly setting up offices in Egypt without licences and bankrolling certain groups during parliamentary election to serve foreign agendas.

US military aid and German assistance in building wind parks for clean energy are as welcome now as they ever were, but when foreigners become involved in promoting concepts like the division of state powers, effective monitoring of elections and other issues relating to a functioning democracy, alarm bells apparently go off in the centres of power in Cairo.

The military-led government's decision to go ahead with legal proceedings 'has shaken the 30-year alliance between the United States and Egypt', the New York Times said.

No date was given for the start of the trials, which will take place at the Cairo Criminal Court.

'The whole business is very unclear,' one of those targeted by the legal action said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed 'deep concerns' after meeting her Egyptian counterpart in Munich over the weekend and said the situation 'can impact all the rest of our relationship with Egypt' in a clear hint regarding US aid to the country.

The US citizens belong to the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), the International Centre for Journalists and Freedom House. Some of them have been prevented from leaving the country, including local IRI head Sam LaHood, son of US Transport Secretary Ray LaHood.

The two Germans work for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The charges also affect three Serbs, two Lebanese, a Norwegian, a Palestinian and a Jordanian along with 14 Egyptians.

In December, Egyptian prosecutors and police raided the offices of 17 NGOs throughout the country, detaining employees and seizing computers.

Clinton has made Washington's anger clear, and the German government has indicated to the Egyptian government that it is fully backing its citizens working for the well known conservative political foundation.

Egyptian Planning and International Cooperation Minister Fayza Abul-Naga is reported to be playing a key role in this controversial decision. The combative minister, who was in Mubarak's cabinet, is said to enjoy the confidence of the military government.

She has revealed information on the case to the Egyptian press, telling reporters in Cairo the government would not back down, in remarks reported by state newspaper Al Ahram.

The fact that Abul-Naga is herself responsible for securing funding from foreign partners - funding essential to Egypt in the throes of a serious economic crisis caused in part by the year-long political upheaval - makes the case more intriguing.

The ruling military council is heavily dependent on the US for aid. Of the 1.55 billion dollars of US aid scheduled for this year, 1.3 billion goes to the military.

But for the present the minister appears more interested in appealing to Egyptian nationalism than in courting the goodwill of donor countries. 'Egypt will get back on its feet again, despite all those who hate our country or are against us,' she told Al Ahram.