Judge Yahya Dakroury of the Administrative Court, which rules on cases challenging the government, ruled that the two islands must remain under Egyptian sovereignty and banned “any changes on the two islands for the benefit of any foreign country”.
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“The government used and will present all documents in its possession to show the validity and strength of its position before the Supreme Administrative Court which will decide in this case”, the government announced in a press release signed by Prime Minister Ismail Sharif.
In a statement, the Cabinet also pointed out that Tuesday’s decision is not final and that it may be overturned by another court.
It also stressed that the Cabinet would not give up any part of the Egyptian homeland and that protecting Egyptian territory is among its fundamental principles.
A Maritime border demarcation agreement, signed on April 8 during King Salman’s visit to Egypt, stipulates that Egypt should surrender the two Islands located in the month of the Gulf of Aqaba to Saudi Arabia. The decision proved controversial, sparking street protests and demands for the agreement to be annulled. The lawyer Amr Abdel Salam filed the complaint, accusing the reporter of treason and an attempt to harm security and national unity. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in April in the largest demonstrations since el-Sissi was elected president in 2014. The judge’s decision demonstrates the courts “are fair and only care about the interests of the country”, Essam el-Eslamboly, one of the Egyptian lawyers who challenged the transfer said.
“I appeal to the Egyptian government…to implement the court’s ruling”.
Sisi has cracked down on all dissent since leading the military’s overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison and a $1,000 fine.
The Sinai was returned to Egypt, together with the two islands, under its landmark 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
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Egyptians are eager for economic revival after years of political upheaval. Egyptian troops have been stationed on the islands since 1950 at the request of Saudi Arabia. “Bread, freedom, those islands are Egyptian”, they chanted, a play on the most popular slogan of the 2011 uprising – “bread, freedom and social justice”.
