clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Egyptian court orders temporary suspension of ruling on island transfer to Saudi

September 30, 2016 at 12:48 pm

An Egyptian court accepted an appeal on Thursday against a June verdict that voided the agreement in which Egypt transferred the sovereignty of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

A judicial source told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity that the Urgent Matters Court accepted an appeal challenging the implementation of a previous court order that voided the transfer of Tiran and Sanafir at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Egyptian lawyer Ashraf Farahat, who filed the appeal in support of the implementation of the deal, said that the ruling returns the agreement to the administrative judiciary for consideration. “The judiciary is not allowed to interfere in matters related to sovereignty,” he explained. The agreement was signed by virtue of a presidential decree.

Farahat added that the final and ultimate decision in the case lies with the High Administrative Court, so Thursday’s ruling is considered to be just a temporary move.