In final verdict, Egyptian court rules against government agreement to hand over Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.

A top Egyptian court has issued a final ruling rejecting a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia in a deal that had provoked outrage among Egyptians and prompted rare protests.

Cheers broke out in the Cairo courtroom as the judge read out the verdict confirming Egyptian sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir and saying that the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were Saudi.

The islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba control the narrow shipping lanes running north to the Red Sea port cities of Eilat and Aqaba, in Israel and Jordan.

The fate of the two islands has been at the heart of friction between Riyadh and Cairo over a string of regional issues, including Syria and Yemen. </s> A top Egyptian court has issued a final ruling rejecting a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

Cheers broke out in the Cairo courtroom as the judge read out the verdict confirming Egyptian sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir and saying the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were Saudi.

The deal to transfer the islands, announced in April, caused public uproar and protests by Egyptians, who believe Tiran and Sanafir belongs to their country.

The islands have become a source of tension with Saudi Arabia, which has provided Egypt with billions of dollars of aid but recently halted fuel shipments amid deteriorating relations.

Tiran and Sanafir are situated in the narrow entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba leading to Jordan and Israel. Saudi and Egyptian officials say they belong to Saudi Arabia and were under Egyptian control only because Riyadh asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them. </s> A top Egyptian court issued a final ruling on Monday rejecting a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia in a deal that had provoked outrage among Egyptians and prompted rare protests.

Cheers broke out in the Cairo courtroom as the judge read out the verdict confirming Egyptian sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir and saying that the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were Saudi. </s> CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court has ruled against the government’s decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia — a landmark verdict likely to deepen tensions with the kingdom.

Monday’s ruling rejected the government’s appeal against a lower court’s decision to annul the handover agreement, signed in April.

The Supreme Administrative Court said the two islands, Sanafir and Tiran, are Egyptian, debunking the government’s claim that they were Saudi.

The islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba control the narrow shipping lanes running north to the Red Sea port cities of Eilat and Aqaba, in Israel and Jordan.

The fate of the two islands has been at the heart of friction between Riyadh and Cairo over a string of regional issues, including Syria and Yemen. </s> CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt’s government has approved a deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia and sent it to parliament for ratification, despite a legal dispute over the plan, according to state television.

An aerial view of the coast of the Red Sea and the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir is pictured through the window of an airplane near Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt November 1, 2016. Picture taken November 1, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

The deal, announced in April, caused public uproar and rare protests by Egyptians who said the uninhabited islands of Tiran and Sanafir belonged to their country.

The controversy has become a source of tension with Saudi Arabia, which has provided billions of dollars of aid to Egypt but recently halted fuel shipments amid deteriorating relations.

In June, the Higher Administrative Court annulled the agreement, saying Egyptian sovereignty over the islands could not be given up. The Egyptian government lodged an appeal.

Earlier this month, an Egyptian state advisory body recommended the court uphold its original decision, in a report seen by Reuters.

The court is due to issue its final verdict on Jan. 16 and is not obliged to follow the advisory body’s report.

The government’s latest move shows “the collapse of the state of law and the constitution” in Egypt, said Khaled Ali, a lawyer who filed the June lawsuit to annul the deal.

“The decision that parliament is going to issue is void and the people should defend their land with all legitimate means against this tyrant regime that doesn’t respect either law or judiciary,” Ali said.

However, Nabil al-Gamal, member of the legislative and constitutional committee in parliament, said there was “absolutely no conflict” in sending the agreement to parliament for ratification before the court’s final ruling.

“I expect the parliament not to vote ... on the agreement before the judiciary rules, so that there won’t be any conflict between them,” said al-Gamal.

Tiran and Sanafir are situated in the narrow entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba leading to Jordan and Israel.

Saudi and Egyptian officials say they belong to Saudi Arabia and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.

Lawyers who opposed the handover said Cairo’s sovereignty over the islands dated to a 1906 treaty, before Saudi Arabia was founded. </s> Egypt's government has approved a deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia and has sent it to parliament for ratification on Thursday, according to state television.

Earlier this month, an Egyptian state advisory body recommended that a Cairo court uphold a ruling that annulled an agreement giving Saudi Arabia control of two islands.

The agreement, announced in April, caused a public uproar and rare protests by Egyptians who said the uninhabited islands of Tiran and Sanafir were Egyptian.

In June, the Higher Administrative Court annulled the agreement, saying Egyptian sovereignty over the islands could not be given up. The Egyptian government lodged an appeal. </s> An Egyptian court ruled on Monday against the government's decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia - a landmark verdict likely to deepen tensions with the kingdom.

 

 The ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court rejected an appeal by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government against a lower court's decision to annul the islands handover agreement, signed in April during a visit by the Saudi monarch, King Salman. During his visit, Salman pledged billions of dollars to Egypt in loans and investments.

 

 The agreement was condemned by many in Egypt who saw it as a land sell-off. It also sparked the largest demonstrations against el-Sissi's two-year rule. Ignoring the legal process, el-Sissi's government last month approved the agreement on the islands and sent it to parliament for ratification. The 596-seat chamber is packed with el-Sissi supporters.

 

 WATCH: Video from the scene



 Monday's verdict was met by an eruption of jubilation by activists and lawyers in the courtroom in Cairo, some of whom sang the national anthem.

 

 Outside the court, a small number of activists chanted: "Saudi Arabia, take your money back, for tomorrow, the Egyptian people will trample on you.'' There were minor scuffles between police and several dozen people outside the courthouse who attempted to stage a demonstration.

The court said the two islands, Sanafir and Tiran, are Egyptian - contrary to the government's claim that they were Saudi and only given to Egypt in the 1950s to protect them from a possible attack by Israel.

 

 "It's enshrined in the court's conscience that Egypt's sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir is beyond doubt," the court's presiding judge, Yahya al-Dakrouri, said in announcing the verdict to a packed courtroom.





 The judge said the government lawyers did not provide the court with documents "or anything else" that could persuade the court to believe otherwise.

 

 Sanafir and Tiran are located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, controlling the narrow shipping lanes running to and from the Red Sea port cities of Eilat and Aqaba, in Israel and Jordan, to the north.

 

 The fate of the two islands has been at the heart of friction between Riyadh and Cairo over a string of regional issues, including Syria and Yemen. Last September, Saudi Arabia unilaterally suspended fuel shipments to Egypt agreed during Salman's visit to Egypt, forcing Cairo to scurry for alternative sellers. </s> CAIRO: Egypt’s government has approved a deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia and sent it to parliament for ratification, despite a legal dispute over the plan, according to state television.

The deal, announced in April, caused public uproar and rare protests by Egyptians who said the uninhabited islands of Tiran and Sanafir belonged to their country.

The controversy has become a source of tension with Saudi Arabia, which has provided billions of dollars of aid to Egypt but has recently halted fuel shipments amid deteriorating relations.

In June, the Higher Administrative Court annulled the agreement, saying Egyptian sovereignty over the islands could not be given up.

Earlier this month, an Egyptian state advisory body recommended the court to uphold its original decision in a report seen by Reuters.

The court is due to issue its final verdict on Jan 16 and is not obliged to follow the advisory body’s report.

The government’s latest move shows “the collapse of the state of law and the constitution” in Egypt, said Khaled Ali, a lawyer who filed the June lawsuit to annul the deal.

“The decision that parliament is going to issue is void and the people should defend their land with all legitimate means against this tyrant regime that doesn’t respect either law or judiciary,” Ali said.

Tiran and Sanafir are situated in the narrow entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba leading to Jordan and Israel.

Saudi and Egyptian officials say they belong to Saudi Arabia and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.

Lawyers who opposed the handover said Cairo’s sovereignty over the islands dated to a 1906 treaty, before Saudi Arabia was founded.

Egypt’s govt approves deal to hand two Red Sea islands to S Arabia was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on December 30, 2016 and was last updated on December 30, 2016. This news story is related to Print/175500-Egypts-govt-approves-deal-to-hand-two-Red-Sea-islands-to-S-Arabia/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Egypt’s govt approves deal to hand two Red Sea islands to S Arabia" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/175500-Egypts-govt-approves-deal-to-hand-two-Red-Sea-islands-to-S-Arabia. </s> CAIRO: Egypt's government has approved a deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia and sent it to parliament for ratification, despite a legal dispute over the plan, according to state television. The deal, announced in April, caused public uproar and rare protests by Egyptians who said the uninhabited islands of Tiran and Sanafir belonged to their country.

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A top Egyptian court rules against giving away the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.