Der Kampf ums Land

Seit 1997 wird in Ägypten schrittweise die Landreform der 60er Jahre rückgängig gemacht. Längst kann beispielsweise wieder unbegrenzt Pacht erhoben werden. Und in den letzten Jahren werden es immer mehr ehemalige Grossgrundbesitzer, die "ihr" Land wiederhaben wollen. Was oft genug vor Ort in einer Koalition mit Poliziekräften gegen die "Neufarmer" durchgesetzt wird, denen die Behörden immer öfter die Dokumentation faktisch verweigern. Am 18. Juni 2006 wird es zu einem Prozess gegen die Farmer von Sarando kommen, die Anfang 2005 der Polizei und ihren Bulldozern erfolgreich Widerstand geleistet haben. Der aktuelle Solidaritätsaufruf (aus Anlass des Athener Sozialforums) "Urgent action to stop expulsion of Egyptian Farmers" des Egyptian Popular Committee with Land Reform Peasants von Anfang Mai 2006.

STOP THE EXPULSIONS OF EGYPTIAN PEASANTS FROM THEIR LAND

Stop violence and trials against the peasants - Land Reform Administration must serve beneficiaries not former owners!

Responding to the Egyptian farmers who met in Kamshish village on April 30th 2006, we, activists and organizations gathered in Athens at ESF and MedSF, declare our support to the Egyptian peasants struggle for the right to stay on their land, against the pressures and attacks from the former land owners in order to expel them and force them to renounce their property rights.

April 30th 2006 is the day of the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Salah Hussein. Part of the farmer movement and land reform, he was killed in his home village by the family of land owners "El Faqi".In Dekernes region (north-east of Delta), courts decided to destitute using force, hundreds of land acres. 50 families who benefited from the land reform in the 60’s, have used all legal means for their defense. From May 5th, police can intervene anytime. Thousands of Egyptian peasants are threaten by expulsion and house destruction.

Shahinda Maqlad, Elsayed Maqlad, Mohammed Elsayed, widow and relatives of Salah Hussein, and Adel Hamouda, Ala Adel, Hana Hamed, journalists, have been sentenced to jail for insult and defamation, for having declared and written that Salah Hussein had been assassinated by the Faqi family.

Shahinda’s trial is being brought to the court of appeal on May 16th.

Farmers from Sarando village (Delta region) and their lawyer have been accused of defamation, assault and battery, for having put on fire bulldozers and accused the police to have tortured them in January 2005. They will be judge in front of the High Security court of Damanhour on June 18th 2006.

Peasants of Bahira Governorate have been currently threatened by the State company Shamal El Tahrir. This company forces them to buy once again the land they legally own.

We address our protest to the Egyptian Embassies and ask the Egyptian Government:

1) to stop the expulsion from their land of all Egyptian farmers who legally own it since the Land Reform.
2) to ban the illegal detention and torture of peasants by the police; to sanction security forces who try to force farmers to renounce to their rights.
3) to ban the use of High State Security Court to judge a conflict between land owners and peasants, or State security and peasants on the accusation of defamation etc.
4) to order the Land Reform Administration to deliver all requested property certificate by the peasants
5) to oblige courts not to accept property certificates without verification.

We ask the Egyptian Embassy to communicate our protest to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Prime minister, the Minister of Interior, and Courts, particularly of Court of Appel (Madinat Nasr) Abasseya, North Giza Court, Embaba, Giza Egypt Ministry of Justice

On behalf of the Egyptian Popular Committee with Land Reform Peasants, April 30th 2006

Historical Background

40 years ago, land reforms restricted land property to 84, then to 42 acres, and established prices for land renting. Land surplus were sold by credit to the farmers as tenants. Since 1997 and the “rent liberalization law”, big landowners are allowed to raise the rent prices as they wish. Moreover, they now threaten small landowners who benefited from the land reform. The public administration, in collusion with the big landowners, refuses to provide the farmers with their land property certificate and courts sentence the farmers to leave their land which has been cultivated for 40 years. When farmers have their official papers, as it is the case in Sarando village, big landowners send bulldozers, the police and armed men to destroy the houses.

Police arrests people and torture men, women and children. Among the victims, Nafisa Elmarakby died after being tortured by police chief officer Mohamed Amar from Damanhour. Her family, under threats, has finally renounced to sue the officer. Moreover, the military court has called 26 farmers and their lawyer, Mohamed Abdel Aziz. The police officer responsible for detaining farmers and the death of Nafisa is now part of the accusation against the farmers and their lawyer. He can anytime arrest and torture farmers who oppose him and the big landowners.