Egypt

Egyptian lawyers challenge referral of Red Sea islands deal to parliament

Egyptian lawyers, Khaled Ali and Ali Ayoub, filed a lawsuit on Saturday in the administrative court challenging the referral of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the parliament.

The Cabinet referred the agreement, which stipulates that the two strategic Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir fall within Saudi territorial waters, to the parliament on Thursday in compliance with "constitutional procedures", read a Cabinet's statement.  
 
The agreement was annulled in June, with the administrative court affirming that the two islands fall within Egypt's borders. 
 
The State Lawsuits Authority, representing the government, challenged the annulment of the agreement later, but the case is yet to be resolved.  
 
The Supreme Administrative Court is set to rule on the case on January 16. 
 
The maritime border demarcation agreement, signed during Saudi King Salman bin Abdel Aziz’s first official visit to Cairo in April, stirred controversy, with critics accusing President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of "selling Egypt" to Saudi Arabia in return for aid.

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