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Activists protest against Egypt’s handing over islands to Saudi Arabia

April 11, 2016 at 8:32 am

Egyptian activists took to the streets on Sunday to protest against their government’s decision to redraw maritime borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and hand over the disputed islands of Sanafir and Tiran to Riyadh.

An anonymous legal source told Anadolu that protesters gathered in Talaat Harb Square in central Cairo, where at least five were arrested.

Former presidential candidate Khaled Ali said that he has filed a lawsuit before the Administrative Court to annul the demarcation deal. The government’s decision to give up the disputed islands without a public referendum and the parliament’s approval is, he claimed, “unconstitutional”.

“I lodged a court case today but this isn’t a personal case,” he explained on Facebook. “This is why the door is open for any citizen to join the case whether through their own lawyers or by contacting me or any of my colleagues.” Due to the “monumental research and legal efforts” required, on “historical, geographical, international, strategic and constitutional grounds”, he invited anyone who can contribute to the research “to share their information or what they have in terms of documents.”

The Egyptian government announced on Saturday evening that a new maritime border agreement with Riyadh would put the Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tiran — long considered to be Egyptian possessions — within Saudi territorial waters.