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	U.S. Justice Department finds Civil Rights Violations by the Minneapolis Police Department by ACLU, NAACP, Brennan Center, agencies USA   June 2023   U.S. Justice Department finds Civil Rights Violations by the Minneapolis Police Department   Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the City of Minneapolis (City) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The Department also announced that the city and MPD have agreed in principle to resolve the Department’s findings through a court enforceable consent decree with an independent monitor, rather than through contested litigation.   Specifically, the Justice Department finds that the MPD:   Uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers; Unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities, including the use of force following stops; Violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and Along with the city, discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.   The Department identified and concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the unlawful conduct.   “George Floyd’s death had an irrevocable impact on his family, on the Minneapolis community, on our country, and on the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The patterns and practices of conduct the Justice Department observed during our investigation are deeply disturbing. They erode the community’s trust in law enforcement. And they made what happened to George Floyd possible. Today, we have completed our investigation, but this is only the first step. We will continue to work with the city and the MPD toward ensuring that MPD officers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively and lawfully as we work together toward meaningful and durable reform.”   “I know this community is still hurting and that today’s announcement may also open up old wounds,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department is committed to working with Minneapolis on a path forward, to constitutional policing, and stronger police-community trust. Together we can build a Minneapolis that protects the rights, safety, and dignity of all.”   “Every American deserves policing that is fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The protests that unfolded across Minneapolis, and the country, underscore the urgency behind our efforts to ensure that police departments respect constitutional rights, while garnering public trust. We will stand by the people of Minneapolis as we work to institute reforms that are lasting and enduring.”   “These findings present a sobering picture of a flawed system – but today we turn towards change through justice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Bildtsen for the District of Minnesota. “This thorough investigation is the foundation to make fair and lawful policing a reality for our entire community.”   The city and MPD cooperated fully with the Justice Department’s investigation. The Department provided a comprehensive written report of its investigative findings to the city and MPD. The report acknowledges the changes already made by the city and MPD, and it identifies additional remedial measures that the Department believes are necessary to fully address its findings.   The Department opened this investigation on April 21, 2021. The investigation was conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota..   http://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/state-and-local-governments-must-take-responsibility-for-police-violence http://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-aclu-of-minnesota-respond-to-doj-findings-about-minneapolis-police-department http://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/16/minneapolis-police-report-doj/ http://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/16/us/doj-report-minneapolis-police.html   * Supreme Court decision overturning Affirmative Action in Education widely condemned, Liberal Justices Dissent   http://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/29/sotomayor-brown-jackson-supreme-court-affirmative-action-00104193 http://naacp.org/articles/naacp-condemns-scotus-ruling-affirmative-action http://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-comment-on-supreme-courts-ruling-against-harvard-and-uncs-affirmative-action-policies http://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-comment-on-president-bidens-response-to-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-affirmative-action   29 Jan. 2023   Tyre Nichols beating fuels calls for broad police reforms   Legal experts and civil rights advocates have said the harrowing video footage that showed a group of Memphis police officers delivering blow after blow to Tyre Nichols underscores the need for broad reforms of policing in the US.   Experts interviewed by the Guardian pointed out that body-worn and surveillance footage was integral in revealing what unfolded – but are not a panacea.   “At the end of the day, that final video shows someone being beaten and abused like he’s in a pinball game. It’s like the ball is just being knocked from one end to the other,” said Randolph McLaughlin, professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and co-chair of the Newman Ferrara civil rights practice.   “What’s most shocking about it all is the brutality and then at the end, the complete dehumanization of this man. He’s not even human to them – he’s not even a person,” McLaughlin said. “It’s as if they just went and played a baseball game and they talked about what happened afterward. There’s absolutely no excuse for this.”   Nichols, 29, was beaten by police after a traffic stop on 7 January and died three days later. Footage of the beating was released on Friday.   McLaughlin said that in many police shooting cases, officers will make the argument that it “is a rapidly evolving situation, a split-second decision had to be made, it was my life or his” but the Memphis officers could not make any such claim. “That man was defenseless. Defenseless.”   The actions of the officers, McLaughlin said, underscored the need for a far broader approach to reform. “This man wasn’t a criminal. He was just trying to get home to his mother. That’s all he was trying to do. If he can’t do that, none of us are safe,” McLaughlin said. “It shows we need a national standard.”   “The police chief in Memphis has taken a very aggressive stance. There’s no question that she’s taking this seriously,” McLaughlin said. “The problem is, what’s happening in Mississippi, what’s happening in New York City, every city, every state.”   “These are not crimes that are being committed in isolation,” McLaughlin also said. “Black and brown men, and poor people, are being treated in this fashion.”   The video provided shows a cohort of officers deliver numerous blows against Nichols, 29, as he languishes against the pavement, crying out for his mother. Nichols is punched, kicked, and struck with a baton.   When the officers who beat Nichols drag him to a police car, and prop him against the side, his grave physical condition deteriorates for more than 20 minutes before an ambulance arrives on scene. Nichols, the father of a four-year-old boy, died on 10 January.   Five officers involved in the incident, who are Black, were fired last week. They have been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression in the death of Nichols.   The Memphis Police Department chief CJ Davis announced on Saturday that she was disbanding the unit whose officers fatally beat Nichols. They were part of what was called the Scorpion unit, which had several teams of approximately 30 street officers who pursued violent offenders in areas with high crime rates, the Associated Press said.   “It is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the Scorpion unit,” Davis reportedly said, saying the decision was made after listening to Nichols’ family, community members, and officers who were not in the unit. Other police in the unit who were not involved in the incident “agree unreservedly” with the decision, Davis said.   Earlier, New York City’s Legal Aid Society said in a statement the footage “underscores the epidemic of police violence that continues to plague communities of color nationwide”.   “This is indeed a systemic crisis, overwhelmingly impacting Black men, and each of these tragedies deepens the wounds of racial trauma that all Black people are forced to shoulder,” the office said in a statement. “We must continue to question the police’s role in society, as these incidents frequently recur, and many more happen all the time without being captured on body-worn cameras.”   Sanford Rubenstein, the veteran New York City civil rights attorney who represented Abner Louima and the family of Sean Bell, said “the extensive video is pictures of the truth” which will be used to prosecute these officers.   “You don’t have one bad apple— you have five officers engage in a horrific beatdown which resulted in death,” Rubenstein said, later adding, “If you try to look into the minds of [these] police, they obviously believed they could do what they did with impunity.”   Rubenstein also pointed out that Nichols’ death has retraumatized those who have endured police violence. “One of the elements in this tragedy is the effect that it’s had on many victims of police brutality,” Rubenstein said. “This now brings back [memories] to their families, especially the families of those who died - they relive them, as they see the video and all the news coverage of this video.”   http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/29/systemic-crisis-tyre-nichols-fatal-beating-by-police-condemned-by-legal-experts http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/27/killing-tyre-nichols-shows-structural-problems-us-policing http://www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/12/roadmap-re-imagining-public-safety-united-states http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ http://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/its-simply-too-dangerous-to-arm-robots   June 2021 (UN News)   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has issued an urgent call for States to adopt a “transformative agenda” to uproot systemic racism, as she published a report casting a spotlight on the litany of violations of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights suffered by people of African descent – on a daily basis and across different States and jurisdictions.   The report states that the worldwide mobilization of people calling for racial justice has forced a long-delayed reckoning with racism and shifted debates towards a focus on the systemic nature of racism and the institutions that perpetrate it.   “The status quo is untenable,” High Commissioner Bachelet said. “Systemic racism needs a systemic response. There needs to be a comprehensive rather than a piecemeal approach to dismantling systems entrenched in centuries of discrimination and violence. We need a transformative approach that tackles the interconnected areas that drive racism, and lead to repeated, wholly avoidable, tragedies like the death of George Floyd.”   “I am calling on all States to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress.”   The report details the “compounding inequalities” and “stark socioeconomic and political marginalization” that afflict people of African descent in many States.   Across numerous countries, most notably in North and South America and in Europe, people of African descent disproportionately live in poverty and face serious barriers in accessing their rights to education, healthcare, employment, adequate housing and clean water, as well as to political participation, and other fundamental human rights.   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/HC-report-systemic-racism.aspx   June 2020   Black Lives Matter (PBS, Reuters, agencies)   Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton has told a memorial for George Floyd that the African American man's death was symbolic of four centuries of struggle for black people in America.   Mr Floyd died in police custody after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt heavily on his neck for over eight minutes.   Video from the incident shows bystanders demanding Mr Chauvin to get off Mr Floyd.   Mr Floyd repeatedly cried "I can't breathe" while calling out for his mother. He died in handcuffs with his face pressed to the street.   Delivering the eulogy at a memorial service inside a university chapel in Minneapolis, Sharpton said Floyd's fate - dying at the hands of police, pinned to the ground under the knee of a white officer - symbolized a universal experience of police brutality for African Americans.   "When I stood at that spot, the reason it got to me is that George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks," Reverend Sharpton said.   "Because ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck'.   "What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country, in education, in health services and in every area of American life. It's time to stand up in George's name and say get your knee off our necks."   "George Floyd should not be among the deceased," Reverend Sharpton said. "He did not die of common health conditions. He died of a common American criminal justice malfunction. He died because there has not been the corrective behaviour that has taught this country that if you commit a crime, it does not matter if you wear blue jeans or a blue uniform, you must pay for the crime you commit'.   Sharpton led mourners in eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence, the amount of time Floyd lay on a Minneapolis street with a knee pressed into his neck.   Mr. Floyd's wife, Chirlane McCray, the mother of their two children, said her husband's killing was a reminder of the fear that black families in the country endure on a daily basis.   'We fear for their lives, and we also fear for their ability to live with dignity', she said.   Mr Floyd's brother Philonise shared memories of growing up together. "All these people came to see my brother," he said.   "And that's amazing to me that he touched so many people's hearts. Because he's been touching our hearts. Everybody wants justice. We want justice for George. He's going to get it."   Mr Floyd's attorney told mourners he would find justice for the 46-year-old. "It was not the coronavirus pandemic that killed George Floyd," said Benjamin Crump, who is representing Mr Floyd's family. "It was that other pandemic. The pandemic of racism and discrimination."   Mr Floyd's death has reignited long-felt anger over police killings of African-Americans and unleashed a nationwide wave of civil unrest unlike any seen in the US since Dr. King's 1968 assassination.   With demonstrations for racial justice sweeping through dozens of US cities and around the world, Reverend Sharpton said Mr Floyd's death would not be in vain.   "You changed the world George," the 65-year-old Baptist minister said. "We're going to keep fighting George." "We're going to keep going until we change the whole system of justice'.   In addition to hundreds who gathered inside the North Central University chapel, a crowd of hundreds more clustered outside, listening to the service broadcast over loudspeakers. One was Zsa-Vona Williams, 36, who knew Floyd from his days working at the homeless shelter where she once lived, recalling him as a caring, friendly soul.   'He gave to and fed a lot of people. He was a gentle, peaceful person', Williams said, adding that in death, 'He has changed the world'.   The day of remembrance capped 10 days of protests, accompanied by civil unrest across more than 100 cities. The size and scope of disturbances seemed to ebb after prosecutors in Minneapolis on Wednesday elevated 2nd degree murder charges against Derek Chauvin the police officer jailed last week and arrested the three others officers accused of aiding and abetting the crime.   The four former officers, all dismissed from the Minneapolis police department the day after Mr. Floyd died, each faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges against them.   http://www.pbs.org/newshour/series/race-matters-america-in-crisis   June 2020   US protests: Deep-seated grievances must be addressed. (UN News)   The grievances at the heart of the protests that have erupted in hundreds of US cities need to be heard and addressed if the country is to move on from its tragic history of racism and violence, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday.   'The voices calling for an end to the killings of unarmed African Americans need to be heard. The voices calling for an end to police violence need to be heard. And the voices calling for an end to the endemic and structural racism that blights US society need to be heard', Bachelet said.   'At all times, but especially during a crisis, a country needs its leaders to condemn racism unequivocally; for them to reflect on what has driven people to boiling point; to listen and learn; and to take actions that truly tackle inequalities', she said.   The protests, which began in response to the killing of an African American man, George Floyd, while in police custody on 25 May, have continued, spreading to more than 300 US cities.   There are credible reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officers, including indiscriminate and improper use of less-lethal weapons and ammunition. Tear gas has been used to disperse peaceful demonstrators and rubber bullets and pepper balls have been fired at demonstrators and journalists who did not pose an imminent threat of serious injury. These tactics have been used in some instances in which many victims were retreating.   There have been at least 200 reported incidents of journalists covering the protests being physically attacked, intimidated or arbitrarily arrested, despite their press credentials being clearly visible.   'What has been happening is an unprecedented assault on journalists. In some cases they have been attacked or even arrested while on air. It is all the more shocking given that freedom of expression and of the media are fundamental principles in the US, central to the country's identity', Bachelet said.   'I call on the authorities at all levels to ensure the message is clearly understood - reporters must be able to do their important work free from attacks or repression'.   Several people, including a federal law enforcement agent, have died in the unrest, dozens have been injured and numerous properties destroyed. Police officers have been targeted and injured in a number of locations.   'As I have said before, violence, looting and the destruction of property and neighbourhoods won't solve the problem of police brutality and entrenched discrimination. I repeat my calls to protesters to express their demands for justice peacefully, and for the police to take the utmost care not to enflame the situation through the use of excessive force', the High Commissioner said.   Bachelet called for all actions by the authorities and protesters that have led to death or injury, including of law enforcement officials, to be subject to independent, impartial and transparent investigations.   She also voiced deep concern at statements that have sought to label protesters as terrorists, or to delegitimize the mass outpouring of grief and peaceful protest by pointing to violence or destruction of property that has occurred in many locations.   'There can be no doubt as to what or who is behind these protests. We have seen thousands upon thousands of peaceful protesters, of diverse backgrounds, taking to the streets to demand their rights and to call for change. Many police officers, as well as National Guard troops, have also responded peacefully to those gathered on the streets', Bachelet said.   'Structural racism and police violence are of course found across the world', the High Commissioner said. 'The anger we have seen in the US, erupting as COVID-19 exposes glaring inequalities in society, shows why far-reaching reforms and inclusive dialogue are needed there to break the cycle of impunity for unlawful killings by police and racial bias in policing'.   'In addition, there must be a profound examination of a wide range of issues, including socio-economic factors and deep-seated discrimination. To move forward, communities must be able to participate in shaping decisions that affect them and be able to air their grievances', Bachelet said.   28 May 2020   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Thursday condemned the killing of George Floyd, an African American man whose death in police custody on Monday was captured on video and has led to serious ongoing protests in Minneapolis, and a number of other U.S. States.   'This is the latest in a long line of killings of unarmed African Americans by US police officers and members of the public', Bachelet said.   'I am dismayed to have to add George Floyd's name to that of Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and many other unarmed African Americans who have died over the years at the hands of the police -- as well as people such as Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin who were killed by armed members of the public'.   'The US authorities must take serious action to stop such killings, and to ensure justice is done when they do occur. Procedures must change, prevention systems must be put in place, and above all police officers who resort to excessive use of force should be charged and convicted for the crimes committed.   I welcome the fact that the Federal authorities have announced that an investigation will be prioritized, she said. But in too many cases in the past, such investigations have led to killings being deemed justified on questionable grounds, or only being addressed by administrative measures.   The role that entrenched and pervasive racial discrimination plays in such deaths must also be fully examined, properly recognized and dealt with, she added.   While saying she understood the anger unleashed by Floyd's killing, Bachelet urged people in Minneapolis and elsewhere to protest peacefully.   'Violence and destruction of property won't solve the problem of police brutality and enshrined discrimination', she said. 'I urge protestors to express their demands for justice peacefully, and I urge the police to take utmost care not enflame the current situation even more with any further use of excessive force'.   May 2020   The Congressional Black Caucus Condemns Killing of George Floyd by Police   The Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement on the murder of George Floyd by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department:   This time his name was George Floyd. His crime, being a Black man in America. On Monday evening, George Floyd was killed at the hands of racist police officers, who insisted on using unnecessary force, which included kneeling on his neck, until he could no longer breathe. Within minutes and despite his cries out because he could not breathe, Floyd lost consciousness and died.   How many times will the police officers be the judge, jury, and executioner towards our people? How many times will our human rights be violated? It is unacceptable to threaten and take our lives because you feel threatened by the color of our skin.   The Congressional Black Caucus is calling on the Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo to conduct a full investigation of all officers involved and that all participating officers are immediately fired, arrested, and charged with murder. Our community can no longer be targeted, attacked, and killed with impunity. Being Black in America should not be a death sentence.   http://cbc.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2195 http://nationalactionnetwork.net/newnews/we-are-on-the-brink-of-real-change-rev-sharpton-interviewed-before-delivering-eulogy-at-george-floyds-memorial/ http://www.naacp.org/latest/joint-statement-naacp-links-incorporated-collective-outrage-regarding-police-murder-george-floyd-victims-law-enforcement/ http://www.naacp.org/about-us/game-changers/ http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2020/05/30/rev-wendell-anthony-america-must-not-fail-black-americans-again/5287170002/ http://www.vox.com/2020/6/3/21279759/barack-obama-george-floyd-racism-police-brutality http://medium.com/@BarackObama/how-to-make-this-moment-the-turning-point-for-real-change-9fa209806067 http://bit.ly/2U9r56N   http://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/black-lives-matter http://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-response-to-george-floyds-death-reflects-accumulated-grievance-of-black-america http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/protests-are-the-final-expression-of-outrage-84116037857 http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/29/my-fellow-brothers-sisters-blue-what-earth-are-you-doing/ http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/naacp-president-there-s-a-level-of-police-violence-against-our-community-that-must-be-addressed-84097093757 http://www.npr.org/2020/05/29/865261916/a-decade-of-watching-black-people-die http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/02/outrageous-christian-leaders-reject-trump-use-of-church-as-prop-during-george-floyd-protests http://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/03/protests-congress-lawmakers-299291   http://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/02/us-address-structural-racism-underlying-protests http://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/02/george-floyds-killing-and-black-lives-lost http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocity-alert-no-206-united-states-iraq-and-sudan/ http://cpj.org/2020/06/at-least-125-press-freedom-violations-reported-over-3-days-of-us-protests/ http://www.vox.com/2020/5/29/21274364/george-floyd-minneapolis-uprising http://wapo.st/3gHGZPr http://www.americanprogress.org/press/statement/2020/05/28/485521/statement-violence-week-past-400-years-demonstrate-systemic-racism-americas-underlying-disease/   http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/james-mattis-denounces-trump-protests-militarization/612640/ http://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/american-nightmare/612457/ http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/05/29/after-george-floyd-a-nation-in-search-of-justice http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/06/06/what-black-america-means-to-europe/ http://fra.europa.eu/en/news/2020/stop-racist-harassment-and-ethnic-profiling-europe http://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/05/china-covid-19-discrimination-against-africans http://qz.com/africa/1836510/africans-in-china-being-evicted-from-homes-after-lockdown-ends/   http://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-issues-statement-events-surrounding-murder-george-floyd/ http://www.naacpldf.org/ http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/state-emergency-black-people-are-dying/ http://www.splcenter.org/news/2020/06/01/george-floyd-tony-mcdade-sean-reed-and-breonna-taylor http://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/statement-president-michael-waldman-recent-police-killings-and-civil http://www.interaction.org/blog/statement-regarding-the-tragic-death-of-george-floyd/ http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/2020/statement-060320.html http://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-responds-minneapolis-police-killing-george-floyd http://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/minneapolis-police-should-be-accountable/ http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/30/865413079/what-do-coronavirus-racial-disparities-look-like-state-by-state http://en.unesco.org/inclusivepolicylab/analytics/covid-19-inequality-our-pre-existing-condition http://www.thenation.com/article/archive/historical-amnesia-about-slavery-is-a-tool-of-white-supremacy/ http://lithub.com/the-war-on-the-poor-is-only-getting-worse/
	In prison for debt, tens of thousands of women are the ‘double victims’ of poverty in Egypt by Hossam Rabie Equal Times, Penal Reform International   “What are you accused of?” ... “A debt of 35,000 Egyptian pounds (€1100 Euros)” ... “And you’ve been sentenced to three years in prison? The reason for the debt?” ... “My daughter’s marriage.”   These were the answers given by Iman, a divorced housewife and mother of five, when she visited the Sawaed Foundation, a charitable NGO in ‘10th of Ramadan’ (Al-Ashir min Ramadan), a city north of Cairo.   On 14 January 2023, the 48-year-old woman went to the foundation to ask for help, wearing an old black djellaba and a veil covering her face to hide her identity. Iman has been wanted by the police for over six months.   In June 2022, she was sentenced in absentia by a court in the Sharkia Governorate, in the Nile Delta, for failing to pay back a debt amounting to the equivalent of €1,100, for over a year. Since the verdict, Iman has been hiding in her neighbours’ homes to escape the regular police raids.   “We receive about 50 cases like Iman’s every month,” Rabab Mansour, general secretary of the Sawaed Foundation, tells Equal Times. For the past five years, the NGO has been trying to raise money to help the Gharemat, women in debt, who have been condemned to prison in Egypt.   “After receiving the cases, we try to offer them legal support from our lawyer and launch fundraising campaigns, especially on social media, to repay the women’s debts and enable their release,” she adds.   While Iman may have the good fortune of being on the list of women helped by this small NGO, it is too late for the tens of thousands of women already put behind bars for the same reason.   Based on official estimates, the Gharemat currently account for as much as 25 per cent of Egypt’s prison population, the second largest category after political prisoners. Most of these women are sentenced to between three and 16 years, according to a study published in May 2021 by the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue (FDHRD), an independent Egyptian NGO, which estimates the number of women in prison for debt at 35,000.   “Most of the women in debt are from villages and are female heads of households who borrow money to get their daughters married. Others take on debt to buy medicines, to pay for surgery or because they are in urgent need of money,” explains Mansour. “Among those that have come for help is a woman who was sentenced to two years for failing to pay back a debt of EGP6,000 (about €380).”   Prisoners of poverty   The Gharemat phenomenon illustrates how women are the primary victims of poverty in Egypt, as well as how large the gap is between men and women in terms of labour market access and financial autonomy. According to figures from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) published in March 2021, only 11.8 per cent of women of working age are in employment.   “The prisoners of poverty, as I would like to describe them, are a worrying phenomenon in Egypt, and highlight the economic hardships and pressures faced by women, especially female heads of households,” Noal Mostafa, director of the Children of Female Prisoners Association (Atfal al-Sagenat, in Arabic), tells Equal Times.   In Egypt, being a female head of household is a day-to-day struggle. According to the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights, a third of Egyptian families are under the sole responsibility of the mother. The vast majority of these women are unemployed, uneducated and receive no support from the state.   Most of them have large families to feed and are alone in covering the exorbitant cost of their daughters’ marriages. Over 59 per cent of these female heads of household are illiterate. The figures published by CAPMAS at the end of 2021 confirm how very poor they are – a level of poverty that leaves them with no choice but to take on debt.   Illiteracy and lack of education are a boon for greedy creditors. “To finance their daughters’ marriages or borrow money, these women are forced to sign blank cheques made out to the creditors. If they cannot repay their debts, some creditors write exorbitant amounts on them, to intimidate the women and force them to repay the money or risk jail,” explains Mostafa.   Mostafa’s commitment to women in debt began in the 1990s. A journalist at the time, she went to the women’s prison in al-Qanatir, north of Cairo, to report on the situation. She was shocked to see women, most of them Gharemat, having to look after their newborn babies in prison. Her shock was all the greater when she realised that some of them were in prison for sums as modest as €200. This was what prompted her to set up a charity to provide assistance to indebted women and their young children through donations.   While Mostafa’s initiative has secured the release of hundreds of indebted women, she acknowledges that they are only escaping from a small prison into a larger one: society.   “Women who come out of prison are heavily stigmatised. No one is willing to give them work, because they are on record as having committed a crime. Some have no alternative but to resort to illegal ways of making a living to feed their families, such as prostitution or begging,” she adds.   Mostafa has since decided not to wait until women end up in prison to pay their debts and is trying to tackle the problem at the source. With the help of grants and partnerships, in 2016, she set up a first clothing workshop to enable indebted women to work and pay off their debts. The project also offers sewing training to give women a fresh start after life in prison. A second workshop has since been opened and the association has managed to provide work or training to more than 6,000 indebted women.   A legal issue   The growing phenomenon of women in debt recently began to catch the attention of the Egyptian authorities. In 2018, the state-run Tahya Misr Fund launched the Egypt Without Debtors initiative, aimed at finding solutions for women and men in debt and in prison. In addition, Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has recently started to pardon small debtors on national holidays. But according to NGOs, the numbers are still very small, as the state is not seeking a radical solution to the problem.   For Nader Eissa, head of communications at the Children of Female Prisoners Association, the plight of women in debt is also worsening because of a law dating back to the late 1940s that allows for people to be imprisoned for not paying off their debts.   Since 2018, the Children of Female Prisoners Association has supported two parliamentary bills calling for the replacement of prison sentences for those in debt with civil punishment, allowing them to work for the state to pay off their debts. But these bills are left “in a drawer,” according to Eissa.   The economic crisis affecting Egypt since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war has worsened the plight of women in the country. In 2022, the Egyptian pound lost 50 per cent of its value and prices almost doubled, putting further pressure on female heads of households.   “Nowadays, more and more women have to take on debts to pay for the basics needed for their families’ survival,” Eissa explains. “The situation is catastrophic for them. Some women can no longer even pay back a debt of one or two thousand Egyptian pounds (€30 to €60).”   The economic situation has also led to a fall in donations to NGOs that depend entirely on this funding. “It is harder to raise money to pay off women’s debts than in the past. Collecting 10,000 Egyptian pounds can now take over 10 days, compared to three days before. Unfortunately, our ability to help is greatly affected,” laments Mansour. http://tinyurl.com/4da3pu4f   * US: Private Nonprofit Hospitals chase low-income patients on Debts. The United States government’s failure to adequately regulate private nonprofit hospitals and to provide quality healthcare alternatives undermines access to health care: http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/15/us-nonprofit-hospitals-chase-low-income-patients-debts   * Penal Reform International: Five takeaways from #CSW68 on the criminalisation of women linked to poverty.   One week after International Women’s Day, a coalition of organisations and experts convened to address the rising trend of women’s criminalisation driven by poverty in a side event at the 68th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York on 15 March. The event highlighted the intersections of gender, poverty, and punitive legal systems, drawing attention to the urgent need for reform, amid a rising female prison population globally.   http://www.penalreform.org/blog/five-takeaways-from-csw68-on-the-criminalisation-of/ http://www.penalreform.org/blog/the-over-penalisation-of-poverty-through-fines-and/ http://tinyurl.com/3zuffpeh Visit the related web page
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