Egypt: NGOs reject state human rights group

[dArKeR]

Fifteen Egyptian groups have pledged not to work with the government's new council to protect human rights.

The non-government organisations "are not ready to work with the National Human Rights Council as long as the conditions exist that rob it of credibility," they said in a statement on Tuesday. 

They would only cooperate if the government lifted emergency laws that have been in place since 1981, allowed political parties, professional associations and unions to form freely, and granted press freedom. 

"We do not want to deal with this centre that was set up as a matter of appearance and will not contribute to improving the human rights situation in Egypt," Nijad al-Burai, chairman of  the Group for Democratic Development told Aljazeera.net

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CDFDA04D-B165-4C14-B858-1F6C93A14203.htm