Alwaght- An Egyptian court has nullified a demarcation border deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia under which Cairo hands over control of two strategic Red Sea islands to Riyadh.
Tuesday’s verdict by the highest administrative court in Cairo declared as illegal a maritime border accord with the Saudi regime, which would have seen Egypt surrender control of the Tiran and Sanafir islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba.
“Egyptian sovereignty over the islands holds, and it [is] forbidden to change their status in any form or through any procedure for the benefit of any other state,” said State Council Vice President Judge Yehia El-Dakroury, who issued the ruling,
A group of Egyptian rights lawyers filed the lawsuit with Egypt’s Administrative Court at the State Council arguing that President Sisi, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Al had wrongfully relinquished Egypt’s rights over the two islands.
“This is a very important step,” said Khalid Ali, a prominent rights lawyer and former presidential candidate who brought the case against the government over the deal. “I appeal to the Egyptian government ... to implement the court’s ruling.”
The verdict by the administrative court deals a serious blow to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s foreign policy. The military-backed Sisi government zealously argued that the agreement would bring economic benefits for Egypt and claiming that the islands are owned by Saudi Arabia.
The verdict by the administrative court, which rules on cases involving the government, can be appealed.
The controversial deal was made public in April during a high-profile visit to Cairo by the Saudi monarch, King Salman, during which he announced a mutli-billion dollar aid package to Egypt.
Meanwhile sources say, the Egyptian government is being supported by the Israeli regime in its plan to hand over the strategic Islands to the Saudi regime
The agreement in April sparked protests across Egypt. More than 150 people were jailed in connection to riots at the time, although many were later released or had their sentences reduced.
