The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has launched a hotline to receive complaints of rights violations; the hotline will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The network will receive complaints regarding violations of freedom of religion, opinion, media and the internet, expression, and the right to demonstrate.
“The idea has been there for a long time and it came as response to the need to report any violations of rights…so that the network can help through suitable ways,” said Tamer Mowafy, head of the Research Unit in ANHRI.
Citizens are invited to call and make complaints at any time, whether the injustice has fallen on them or if they know of injustice that has fallen on someone else.
In regards to complaints related to violations of the freedom of expression, ANHRI may provide legal assistance to the aggrieved.
In addition, the network may document cases of rights violations or will provide the aggrieved with advice and connect them with the appropriate rights organisation or a governmental body that could assist him or her if it is outside ANHRI’s field of work, such as cases of torture, beating, wrongful termination and health-related complaints.
It may also present the issue to the public, depending on the case.
“The freedom of opinion and expression issues are related to journalists, bloggers and media practitioners, so the internet is a suitable method to spread the hotline to them. But we could try to spread the word through other media such as the television or the press if we get the chance,” Mowafy added. In addition to journalists and media practitioners, the statement said that the network expects to receive complaints from students, artists, protesters, strikers, minorities and writers.
ANHRI explained that the move to set up the hotline comes as part of the network’s efforts to “support freedom of opinion, expression, and creativity, and the inherent rights of the citizens related to these freedoms. This also coincides with a historical period where Egypt is rebuilding the nation hopefully on basis that will guarantee rights and freedoms that the people have been denied for so long.”
ANHRI added that such a goal will never be achieved unless there is monitoring and contribution on the part of civil society to guarantee that people’s rights are not violated and their freedoms are not taken away.
