Justice Minister Adel Abdel Hamid met with US Ambassador Anne Patterson on Monday for discussions on recent raids on the offices of Egyptian civil society groups. According to a judicial source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the meeting took place at Patterson's request.
The source said that Patterson expressed her concern over the storming of civil society organizations by security forces, and that the minister assured her that the raids constituted legal inspections, and reflected Egyptian concerns over national sovereignty.
Last week, Egyptian police raided the offices of 17 non-governmental groups, including several that receive US backing.
Following the raid, the United States reacted sharply, and last week, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi to convey his concerns over the raids.
But on Sunday, Egypt's government denied accusations from human rights groups that the raids were part of a larger strategy to smother or close down groups critical of the ruling military council. Many of the groups currently under investigation by Egyptian authorities were supportive of the 25 January uprising.
The minister told the US Ambassador that Egypt does not object to the work of civil society organizations, so long as they remain within the law. He added that the inspections were conducted by judges.
He informed Patterson that the results of the inspections would be made know to the public.
On Tuesday, Abdel Hamid requested information on 73 registered civil society organizations as part of investigations into foreign funding of civil society organizations, according to an official source within the Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs.
