Egypt's government files new appeal against administrative court's anullment
of Red Sea island deal
Ahram Online , Tuesday 29 Nov 2016
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/250994/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-government-files-new-appeal-against-adminis.aspx

The Egyptian government submitted Monday two appeals against an
administrative court's November decisions which upheld a June 2016 court
ruling that affirmed Egyptian sovereignty over the two Red Sea islands of
Tiran and Sanafir.

The June ruling voided an April 2016 agreement between Egypt and Saudi
Arabia which placed the islands under Saudi sovereignty.

A number of citizens and lawyers, including rights lawyer Khaled Ali, had
filed a lawsuit with Egypt's administrative court at the State Council
against the maritime deal, asking the court to rule the islands are
Egyptian.

Two weeks ago, the administrative court issued verdicts on two separate
motions by the government and lawyers defending the June ruling.

First, the judges rejected the government's request to suspend the execution
of the June ruling, and fined it EGP 800.

Second, the court accepted a request filed by Ali and defence lawyers to
compel the state to execute the June verdict.

The State Lawsuits Authority, the legal body representing the government,
have challenged the two decisions on behalf of the cabinet, the presidency
and parliament.

The November administrative court's verdict would not end legal questions on
the status of the two islands, as the High Administrative Court and Supreme
Constitutional Court, the country's highest court, are hearing various
motions in the dispute.

The government has appealed June's administrative court verdict before the
High Administrative Court and Supreme Constitutional Court.

The High Administrative Court's next session to continue hearings into the
government's appeals is scheduled for 5 December.

In late September, the Court for Urgent Matters accepted a government
challenge to the jurisdiction of administrative courts over issues of
sovereignty, and voided the June decision.

The Egyptian government said that the Islands had always belonged to Saudi
Arabia and that Egypt had been merely administering them on behalf of the
kingdom since the 1950s.

The decision to transfer the two strategic islands at the southern tip of
the Gulf of Aqaba to Saudi Arabia has sparked widespread public outcry in
the country.