The story of the arrest of the people of the Fishers’ Village and their imprisonment because of protesting against depriving them of owning their flats in Bashaer Al-Kheir:
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) stated that Mena Al-Bassal Prosecution decided on Monday, the 20th of July, to extend the detention of 41 of the people of the Fishers’ Village in Alexandria, and to release one citizen because of his deteriorating health conditions.
This took place following the referral of the case to the West of Alexandria Prosecution under no. 10520 of 2020 /Mena Al-Bassal Misdemeanors. The Prosecution completed investigations and decided to put these people on remand detention for 15 days.
The Military Prosecution had decided on the 17th of July to imprison 42 of the people of the Fishers’ Village for four days after their demonstration against the decisions of the government regarding their placement in alternative places and the expropriation of their land and houses.
The Prosecution charged these people with unlawful assembly and demonstration, and assault on and injury to police and military forces.
Earlier, security forces had arrested 65 people of the men and women of the Village. Women had been directed to the police station of Mena Al-bassal which released them later. Men had been taken to the Central Security Camp in Merghem before the Military Prosecution moved to conduct the investigation, and issued its decision.
The case started when the people demonstrated two days earlier, i.e. on Friday. These people had started to move to the neighborhood of Bashaer Al-Kheir. They had documents that prove their ownership of their houses in the Fishers’ Village. 80% of the residents of the Fishers’ Village live in houses they own, and they have documents to prove their right to ownership. This was rejected by the government which refused to acknowledge the residents’ ownership, according to the testimony of one of the residents of the neighborhood.
These events go back to late 2017 when the government asked the residents of the Fishers’ Village to move to the neighborhood of Bashaer Al-Kheir. According to the agreement made at that time between them and the government, residents who owned a flat or a house at the Village will own one in the new place, and those who lived in a rented unit will pay 300 pounds as a rent.
People who had no or limited income or salary would be exempted from the rent and would merely have to pay 50 pounds for maintenance, according to the agreement between the government and the people.
However, the government failed to respect its agreement with the people. It told them that those who will move to the new houses will not have deeds of ownership, i.e. they will be mere occupants and pay monthly rent.
One of the residents said in his testimony to ECRF:
Then, the government refrained from this agreement. It said that the stance of the residents is illegal, and that it is considered usurpation because the land is owned by the state. However, people live there since 1960s.
The government told the residents that they will take flats and pay monthly rents of 300 pounds a month. Residents will have to pay for all utilities including water, electricity and gas with smart cards. Moreover, these flats will not be inheritable by their children. No contracts will be made with them. Residents will be mere occupants of the units based on monthly payment receipts.
Then, residents protested. Security forces that were not very large came to put down their protest. They were supported by security reinforcements. Then, forces started to beat demonstrators with batons, and to fire tear gas from a distance as short as half a meter. Because of the gas, a young child died. She had four days old.
