Egypt's Cabinet has remained tight-lipped on Tuesday's court decision annulling the Egypt-Saudi agreement transferring two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabian control, stating only that it intends to challenge the court's ruling.
At a meeting on Wednesday, the Cabinet affirmed that the government does not comment on judicial verdicts, but said that it had lodged an appeal via the State Lawsuits Authority (SLA).
In a statement, the Cabinet also pointed out that Tuesday's decision is not final and that it may be overturned by another court.
“The government will submit all the documents it possesses to provide strong evidence to the Administrative Court, which has the right to decide in this case,” the statement said.
In addition to providing new maps and documents to suport the government's case regarding Saudi ownership of the islands, the SLA will emphasize the lack of jurisdiction of the Administrative Court that ruled on Tuesday, said the statement.
It also stressed that the Cabinet would not give up any part of the Egyptian homeland and that protecting Egyptian territory is among its fundamental principles.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement in early April for the transfer of two Red Sea islands — Tiran and Sanafir — to Saudi control, placing them in Saudi waters according to a new maritime border agreement. The decision proved controversial, sparking street protests and demands for the agreement to be annulled.
Responding to the deal in April, laweyr and former presidential hopeful Khaled Ali launched a legal challenge, claiming that the islands had always been part of Egyptian territory and that the current government has no right to give them to Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, the Administrative Court ruled in favor of Ali's legal team, nullifying the agreement, although the decision can be appealed.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
