Egypt’s Greatest Lawyer Dies.
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:31 am
M. CHERIF BASSIOUNI a distinguished expatriate Egyptian international lawyer, academic, senior UN official and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. He wrote numerous books over the decades – many published by the best universities in the world. Unlike Hawass his books are reviewed in scholarly journals by peers – always with deep regard.
Judged by international standards of decency and intelligence he is probably the most esteemed Egyptian lawyer in the world. Needless to say the Government of Egypt ignores him, al Ahram publishes nasty things about him and he stayed well away.
He hated corruption and his family comes from Upper Egypt and has a long history in the independence and freedom movement in Egypt. Born a Muslim he was educated by Catholics in Cairo and patriotically returned to Egypt to fight against the English and French in 1956 – during which he was wounded. Under Nasser he was imprisoned for denouncing arrests and torture and later escaped Egypt in 1961 by stowing on a ship. Had he stayed he might not have lived but, from a 'positive' point of view, 'exits' like his meant that the less talented could do better.
He received ten honorary degrees and sixteen medals from eight countries and died in October 2017. An obit: https://thewire.in/183649/cherif-bassio ... ional-law/ another obit: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/obit ... at-79.html and http://law.wustl.edu/WashULaw/crimesaga ... 1937-2017/
Al Ahram Weekly (but not the daily) did do an obit on him – (written not by a journalist but a friend) but left out all the bits embarrassing to Egypt or any bits in which he was critical of Egypt for its corruption or decedent ruling class. I can find no record that any of his books, all of which were translated into Arabic, were ever reviewed or mentioned in any Egyptian newspaper or magazine. No Egyptian university gave him any recognition. The American University in Cairo ignored him. Neither the Egyptian courts not the Egyptian legal profession showed the slightest interest in him.
Unlike many in power in Egypt now he felt comfortable in the world, was interested in different peoples and cultures and thought debate was the essence of a civilized life – but never lacked a strong sense of morality, including attacking the USA for its human rights abuses. In some ways he represents a level of tolerance, skill and intelligence the purging of which has only made Egypt better - for some.
He was widely considered ‘the father’ of the International Criminal Court and was the author of the UN treaty against torture. Like many others getting out made him.
Recently he wrote ‘Chronicles of the Egyptian Revolution and Its Aftermath’ which is published by Cambridge University Press and available from Amazon as an e-book.
Its long and detailed.
He also wrote on-line ‘prosecution reports’ in about 2013 on the current status of prosecutions against the crooks. They are also long and detailed – and a bit boring.
He focuses on the corruption changes that came out in 2011-13, the evidence submitted in court and the convictions at the time. Since then the public record has been ‘cleansed’, convictions overturned and reputations restored.
A particular strength is his knowledge of family networks, marriages and blood relationships. The overall picture he paints is that sons, cousins and in-laws, sometimes with different surnames or different spellings of the family name, have ‘replaced’ the old crooks and are now the ‘front’. The Ezz family comes to mind but there are many others.
I think his point is that little has changed in terms of morality/business practice nor in terms of the ‘players’ – although the driver of the whole jalopy is now clearly in a uniform
Newcastle (an area of interest to you) – he details the ‘settlement’ law for crooks and thieves (although this may now have been overtaken by subsequent laws). He makes the point that it was a proclamation put out by SCAF, never debated, never passed by an elected body and that it, miraculously, provides for payment at the rate at the time of the offense. Therefore if you got a piece of government land at a 90% discount in 2005 you pay the 90% extra at the 2005 market rate. If you subsequently got the governor to give you free/cheap water/gas etc that’s not considered. Therefore if as a result of the market, inflation, the free infrastructure, the cheap loan from the government bank to build a hotel its increased in value 10 times you only pay a ‘fine’ of 90% of 10% of its current value (a 9% fine) and at 2005 non-capital-improved values and get all the benefit of the rest. What a deal – could it get any better? http://mcherifbassiouni.com/wp-content/ ... ate-15.pdf
His website contains multiples of this http://mcherifbassiouni.com/egypt-updates/
Here is a great opportunity. If they applied the ‘settlement’ deal to the 10 million poor illegal residents (some of whom are being evicted) in Cairo and elsewhere that would mean that they would be offered the chance to buy the land they ‘illegally occupy’ at the cost at the time they first occupied it (ignoring inflation and the building they put on it and the electricity etc.). That would be almost nothing and would give home ownership to millions – what a good idea. Some one should speak to the Luxor Governor about this – what about ‘the sisters’ who are very close (and loyal) to ‘all power’ and who claim to feel so strongly for the poor?
What could make more sense – apply the same law to the poor as you apply to the rich? The legal precedent is already established – all that is needed is its application to all citizens. The law is universal and applies equally to all - as Bassiouni spent his life standing up for.
Judged by international standards of decency and intelligence he is probably the most esteemed Egyptian lawyer in the world. Needless to say the Government of Egypt ignores him, al Ahram publishes nasty things about him and he stayed well away.
He hated corruption and his family comes from Upper Egypt and has a long history in the independence and freedom movement in Egypt. Born a Muslim he was educated by Catholics in Cairo and patriotically returned to Egypt to fight against the English and French in 1956 – during which he was wounded. Under Nasser he was imprisoned for denouncing arrests and torture and later escaped Egypt in 1961 by stowing on a ship. Had he stayed he might not have lived but, from a 'positive' point of view, 'exits' like his meant that the less talented could do better.
He received ten honorary degrees and sixteen medals from eight countries and died in October 2017. An obit: https://thewire.in/183649/cherif-bassio ... ional-law/ another obit: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/obit ... at-79.html and http://law.wustl.edu/WashULaw/crimesaga ... 1937-2017/
Al Ahram Weekly (but not the daily) did do an obit on him – (written not by a journalist but a friend) but left out all the bits embarrassing to Egypt or any bits in which he was critical of Egypt for its corruption or decedent ruling class. I can find no record that any of his books, all of which were translated into Arabic, were ever reviewed or mentioned in any Egyptian newspaper or magazine. No Egyptian university gave him any recognition. The American University in Cairo ignored him. Neither the Egyptian courts not the Egyptian legal profession showed the slightest interest in him.
Unlike many in power in Egypt now he felt comfortable in the world, was interested in different peoples and cultures and thought debate was the essence of a civilized life – but never lacked a strong sense of morality, including attacking the USA for its human rights abuses. In some ways he represents a level of tolerance, skill and intelligence the purging of which has only made Egypt better - for some.
He was widely considered ‘the father’ of the International Criminal Court and was the author of the UN treaty against torture. Like many others getting out made him.
Recently he wrote ‘Chronicles of the Egyptian Revolution and Its Aftermath’ which is published by Cambridge University Press and available from Amazon as an e-book.
Its long and detailed.
He also wrote on-line ‘prosecution reports’ in about 2013 on the current status of prosecutions against the crooks. They are also long and detailed – and a bit boring.
He focuses on the corruption changes that came out in 2011-13, the evidence submitted in court and the convictions at the time. Since then the public record has been ‘cleansed’, convictions overturned and reputations restored.
A particular strength is his knowledge of family networks, marriages and blood relationships. The overall picture he paints is that sons, cousins and in-laws, sometimes with different surnames or different spellings of the family name, have ‘replaced’ the old crooks and are now the ‘front’. The Ezz family comes to mind but there are many others.
I think his point is that little has changed in terms of morality/business practice nor in terms of the ‘players’ – although the driver of the whole jalopy is now clearly in a uniform
Newcastle (an area of interest to you) – he details the ‘settlement’ law for crooks and thieves (although this may now have been overtaken by subsequent laws). He makes the point that it was a proclamation put out by SCAF, never debated, never passed by an elected body and that it, miraculously, provides for payment at the rate at the time of the offense. Therefore if you got a piece of government land at a 90% discount in 2005 you pay the 90% extra at the 2005 market rate. If you subsequently got the governor to give you free/cheap water/gas etc that’s not considered. Therefore if as a result of the market, inflation, the free infrastructure, the cheap loan from the government bank to build a hotel its increased in value 10 times you only pay a ‘fine’ of 90% of 10% of its current value (a 9% fine) and at 2005 non-capital-improved values and get all the benefit of the rest. What a deal – could it get any better? http://mcherifbassiouni.com/wp-content/ ... ate-15.pdf
His website contains multiples of this http://mcherifbassiouni.com/egypt-updates/
Here is a great opportunity. If they applied the ‘settlement’ deal to the 10 million poor illegal residents (some of whom are being evicted) in Cairo and elsewhere that would mean that they would be offered the chance to buy the land they ‘illegally occupy’ at the cost at the time they first occupied it (ignoring inflation and the building they put on it and the electricity etc.). That would be almost nothing and would give home ownership to millions – what a good idea. Some one should speak to the Luxor Governor about this – what about ‘the sisters’ who are very close (and loyal) to ‘all power’ and who claim to feel so strongly for the poor?
What could make more sense – apply the same law to the poor as you apply to the rich? The legal precedent is already established – all that is needed is its application to all citizens. The law is universal and applies equally to all - as Bassiouni spent his life standing up for.
