Spindelegger deeply concerned about verdict against civil society in Egypt

VIENNA, Austria, June 7, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger expressed his deep concern about the closing of international NGOs in Egypt and the prison sentences of several years for 43 employees of these organisations. "The civil society – which was the driving force behind the revolution in Egypt – is one of the vital pillars of a working democracy. NGOS need a proper regulatory framework and at the same time the greatest possible freedom to perform their duties in the service of the people."

Earlier this week, an Egyptian court sentenced 43 employees of several foreign NGOs to between one to five years in prison, and also ordered the closure of the offices of these organisations, including the German Konrad-Adenauer Foundation that has been working in Egypt for thirty years, as well as the confiscation of their assets.