In a setback to Egyptian government, a top court on Monday rejected its decision to hand over two strategically located Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, in a deal that had outraged many Egyptians and triggered protests.
High Administrative Court also ruled that the two Red Sea islands Tiran and Sanafir will continue under Egypt’s sovereignty.
The court verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
In its verdict, which was aired on the Egyptian TV, the court said that “Egyptian army has never been an army of occupation” and that the government did not provide sufficient documents that supports its decision.
Last year, the court ruled that Egyptian—Saudi border demarcation agreement which aimed at transferring two Egyptian Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia is void and that the two islands, which have been under Egypt’s control for over 60 years, should remain under Egyptian sovereignty.
The court’s decision was appealed by the government.
Egypt’s State Lawsuits Authority — the body representing the government in legal cases — has appealed in June the court verdict that voided a decision by the government to place two islands in the Red Sea under Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.
On April 7, an Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to transfer the two islands Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia during the visit by Saudi King Salman to Cairo.
Although, the Egyptian government described the agreement as “an important achievement that will make the two countries benefit economically”, many activists rallied to protest against the government’s deal.
The protesters, in different parts of the country, organised marches against the deal and accused the government of selling the islands in return for Saudi investments.
The police used tear gas to disperse the anti-government rallies and many protesters were arrested as street protests are banned without prior permission from police according to a controversial protest law issued in 2013.
Egyptian lawyers Khaled Ali and Ali Ayoub had filed a lawsuit to the Egyptian Administrative Court at the State Council against the deal.
Their report included that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al had wrongfully waived Egyptian sovereignty rights over the two islands.
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.
