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The Mafia of the Agrarian Reform Lands Threaten Ezbet El Baroody Farmers with Eviction
More than 60 farmers from Ezbet El Baroody – Behira governorate put their hands on about 100 feddans of land that is distributed among them with at least half a feddan and 18 karats each. These farmers presented a complaint to the LCHR demanding their protection against the mafia of the agrarian reform lands in Cairo and Behira who use their influence and power to violate the law and seize agrarian lands.
The problem of these farmers first started when the agrarian reform corporation issued a decision to seize the lands of Mrs. Zenat Kamal El Baroody on 18/9/2005 because of her violation to law no. 50 for the year 1969, as she was owning much more than 100 feddans, and according to this decision, her land possession was canceled in Behira agrarian trust associations, then these areas of lands were distributed among the farmers who have been putting their hands on the lands for many years, and possession cards were extracted to them by this association. These farmers paid the rental values for the lands that they have been putting their hands on for more than 40 years.
The farmers were surprised with a decision issued by the agrarian reform corporation proving the ownership of Mrs. Zenat of their lands, which made them file a lawsuit against this decision.
LCHR asserts that these farmers have the right to buy these lands from the agrarian reform corporation according to article no. 6 of law no. 3 for the year 1986.
LCHR has presented the complaints of these farmers to the Minister of Agriculture to issue his decisions to open the file of Ezbet El Baroody and start investigating these complaints by forming a committee representing the farmers to stop wasting the state's lands, stop corruption and guarantee farmers right to safe land possession.
For more information, please contact the Center.