Communication 355/07 - Hossam Ezzat & Rania Enayet (represented by Egyptian
Initiative for Personal Rights & INTERIGHTS) v The Arab Republic of Egypt
Summary of facts
1.
The Complaint was received by the Secretariat of the African Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Secretariat) on 8 November 2007 from Mr Hossam
Baggat of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and Sibongile Ndashe of
INTERIGHTS (hereinafter referred to as the Complainants) who are representing the
victims, Hossam Ezzat and Rania Enayet.
2.
The Complaint is submitted against the Arab Republic of Egypt (State Party1 to
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ (African Charter) and hereafter referred
to as the Respondent State or Egypt).
3.
The Complainants allege that the victims, Hossam Ezzat and Rania Enayet have
been unable to register their Baha’i faith on official documents that must include a
citizen’s religion. They allege that the birth certificates of their three minor daughters
have also been confiscated by security agents.
4.
The Complainants allege that before the introduction of computer-generated
Identity Documents (IDs) and birth certificates in 1995, Baha’is were able to obtain
documents listing them as Baha’i, or inserting a dash or the word ‘other’ for religious
affiliation.
5.
They submit that in April 2004, the victims approached the Immigration and
Passports Department of the Ministry of Interior to list their three daughters on Ms
Enayet’s passport. The Department agreed to add the daughters to their mother’s
passport only if the applicants’ put a dash in front of “religion” on the passport
application. This was complied with by the applicants and the passport was received.
However, in May 2004, the Civil Status Intelligence Unit in Alexandria summoned Ms
Enayet. She went with her husband and met with an officer who told them to change
the religion entered on their IDs and on their daughters’ birth certificates. Their ID
cards were confiscated during the meeting.
6.
The Complainants further allege that in August 2004, the Lower Egypt
Intelligence Department sent a letter to the private school of Ms Enayet’s three
daughters stating that the religion of the girls had been officially amended. It is
submitted that the school principal was instructed to confiscate their birth certificates
and submit them to the Ministry of Interior, and was further ordered to accept only
1
Egypt ratified the African Charter on 20 March 1984.
1