Egypt has ordered the deportation of three Syrians who have been detained after they took half in road celebrations in Cairo following the autumn of President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, a rights group mentioned on Sunday.
According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (Eipr), Egyptian safety forces on 8 and 9 December detained round 30 Syrian women and men within the metropolis of Sixth of October, west of Cairo, whereas dispersing a spontaneous gathering celebrating the tip of greater than 5 a long time of rule by the Assad dynasty.
On Sunday, Eipr mentioned that three of the detained Syrians, nonetheless held by police, are actually dealing with deportation.
The group mentioned that the arrests started on 8 December, shortly after Syrian rebels introduced that they have been accountable for Damascus, and that Assad and his household had fled to Russia.
A gathering exterior the Hosary mosque lasted round quarter-hour and ended earlier than police arrived.
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However, in one other a part of the town’s Second District, cops randomly arrested 20 Syrians after breaking apart their celebratory gathering, Eipr mentioned. All have been transferred to the Sixth of October police station.
Eipr mentioned that six detainees with residency permits have been launched the next day, whereas the remaining detainees, who held non permanent asylum seeker playing cards (yellow playing cards), have been saved in custody.
‘Excessive’ measures
On 11 December, these holding yellow playing cards have been transferred to the passport and immigration authority in Abbasiya after which returned to the police station, elevating issues about their potential deportation.
Separately, on Monday 9 December, Syrians within the Second District of Sixth of October metropolis briefly celebrated Assad’s departure.
Although no arrests have been made throughout the gathering, police later randomly detained ten Syrians from the streets after figuring out their nationality, Eipr mentioned.
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The rights group couldn’t verify whether or not any formal prices had been introduced towards them. It mentioned that, though authorities had ordered their launch, they’ve but to implement their determination.
It added that they’d been transferred to the passport and immigration authority for verification of their authorized standing.
“Eipr condemns the extreme safety measures in Egypt, which stop people from expressing their opinions, solidarity, or pleasure publicly,” the group mentioned, calling on Egypt to right away launch the detained Syrians and chorus from deporting any of them, given the continued uncertainty about security in Syria.
“Forced return would expose them to important dangers, as highlighted by the UNHCR, which advises towards contemplating Syria a secure nation for refugee returns,” the assertion added.
“The Eipr additionally urges the Public Prosecutor’s Office and regulation enforcement companies to stick to present legal guidelines and Egypt’s commitments underneath worldwide agreements on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers,” it mentioned.
“These agreements prohibit exposing refugees and asylum seekers to hazard, forcibly returning them to their nations of origin, or deporting them to areas the place their security and lives are in danger.”
Syrians represent half the refugee and asylum looking for inhabitants in Egypt. A complete of 136,700 Syrian refugees have been registered with UNHCR in Egypt in December 2021.