Egyptian authorities are being urged to amend the country’s associations law, which imposes severe restrictions on independent civil society organizations. Amnesty International’s new briefing highlights how these constraints undermine the right to freedom of association and place the country’s civic space at serious risk. Despite the closure of the long-running Case 173 and the lifting of travel bans and asset freezes against NGO workers, the government continues to use the restrictive 2019 law to impose burdensome procedures and allow intrusive security interference.
The briefing shows that the associations law gives authorities extensive power to control the work, structure and funding of NGOs. Registration depends on prior authorization rather than simple notification, enabling the state to reject or delay applications, block funding and even influence board composition. These regulatory pressures are compounded by unlawful interference from the National Security Agency, whose agents intimidate NGO staff through threatening calls, unlawful summons and coercive questioning.
Interviews with representatives from independent Egyptian NGOs reveal how the law, together with NSA intervention, has created an atmosphere of fear and surveillance. Hotels often refuse to host events without security clearance, donors face monitoring of their activities and everyday organizational operations are hindered by delays and demands for approval. This climate not only stifles human rights work but also restricts broader civil society activities under vague provisions that criminalize actions deemed contrary to national unity or political in nature.
The law forces all organizations to register under its terms or risk dissolution, pushing some groups to comply despite concerns, while others avoid registration altogether due to its limitations. Financial restrictions further curtail NGO operations, with organizations unable to open or activate bank accounts without state approval and facing long delays that disrupt salaries and activities. Foreign funding is tightly controlled, requiring prior authorization that can be denied without explanation, leaving NGOs at risk of penalties or closure.
These measures form part of a decade-long pattern of repression. From 2011 to 2021, authorities escalated their crackdown on independent civil society through investigations, travel bans, asset freezes and prosecutions. Although some restrictions were eased between 2021 and 2024—most notably the closure of Case 173—the government has not addressed the root causes of the repression. Amnesty International urges Egypt to reform the law in line with international human rights standards, allow NGOs to register by notification, protect them from security interference and remove undue restrictions on funding and operations.
