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Stop the assault on the farmers of Izbat El-Zaraby!!

The Land center for Human Rights received dozens of complaints from the farmers of the village of Izbat El-Zaraby, Beni Suef governorate. After the farmers of the village were surprised by the curettage of an area of 75 acres of agricultural land cultivated with wheat, clover and onions by the governor of Beni Suef, which led to the loss and destruction of their crops in addition to their losses in the reclamation of the lands of El-Zaraby over the past years.
The problem goes back to 1974 when dozens of farmers owned and cultivated these lands, then a decision was made to expropriate those lands to establish the Ahnathya drainage on it. The governorate expropriated the land from the farmers. After the completion of the establishment of the drainage a piece of land, parallel to the drainage, remained. The farmers reclaimed that piece of land, put their hands on it, and cultivated it as a property of the State.
After the curettage of the land by the governorate, the farmers went to inquire about the causes of encroachment on their lands. They were informed of the desire of the governor to construct a new road, and when asked to see the removal decision and the reasons behind it, they were thrown out from the governorate building and threatened with arrest!!.
The farmers learned that there is a group of influential and powerful people, who buy agricultural lands and invest in the area of El-Zaraby. In the last period some of those people bought at least 6 acres on both sides of the road, for the purpose of investing in them after the establishment of the road, and then selling them for millions of pounds. The LCHR submits these complaints to the Prime Minister demanding that the Minister of Agriculture and the Governor of Beni Suef stop the encroachment on the lands of the farmers and investigate the sale of the land to the investors to trade with them, and to also investigate the incident of the curettage of the agricultural land, the loss of crops, and the violation of the rights of farmers in order to enable them to re-cultivate their land.
The LCHR calls upon the members of the People's Assembly and Shura Council, and the civil society organizations to unite in solidarity with the demands of farmers, in order to defend their rights to the safety of their crops, lands, and homes, in order to maintain their only source of income from agriculture and to ensure their right to safety and a decent living.
For more information please contact the Center.

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