Second Re-Referral: Court Sends Nazlet El-Samman Demolition Suspension Cases Back to Ministry of Justice Experts Following Defense Objections
In a renewed development, the Administrative Court has issued a preliminary ruling re-referring two lawsuits seeking to halt demolitions in Nazlet El-Samman, Giza, to a tripartite committee of experts from the Ministry of Justice. This step comes in direct response to defense objections regarding prior expert reports deemed inadequate. The court conditioned the referral on the payment of a security deposit totaling EGP 20,000—EGP 10,000 per case—by May 25.
The lawsuits, filed by owners and residents of Nazlet El-Samman (case numbers 3176/76 and 19981/76), aim to suspend enforcement of administrative decisions targeting over 390 privately owned properties. Initially, the court had reserved the cases for judgment on February 23, before ordering the re-referral.
Defense lawyers from the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, in collaboration with the office of Cassation Lawyer Khaled Ali and Nazlet El-Samman’s defense team, successfully challenged the Ministry of Justice expert reports. They argued that the reports failed to address the lawfulness of the expropriation procedures for public benefit, merely cataloguing administrative data without offering a genuine technical evaluation—thus rendering the reports inadequate for resolving the core legal disputes.
The original lawsuit demands included suspending the administration’s refusal to formally notify residents of the nature of decisions affecting their properties, halting demolition and temporary seizure efforts, and compelling authorities to bear litigation costs and attorneys’ fees.
In a subsequent lawsuit, the plaintiffs called for a freeze on all demolition activities until it is determined whether their properties are legally subject to expropriation, and until they are granted access to the government’s redevelopment plans for Nazlet El-Samman. They also seek guarantees against removal, proper determination of compensation under the Public Benefit Expropriation Law, and clear disclosure of any alternative housing provisions.
Additionally, the plaintiffs demanded the suspension of the administration’s refusal to conduct meaningful community consultations with Nazlet El-Samman residents. They insist on an open dialogue regarding redevelopment proposals to strike a fair balance between modernizing the area and protecting residents’ rights to remain in their homes.
The lawsuits name as defendants the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Tourism and Housing, the Governor of Giza, the Head of Al-Haram District, the Head of the Informal Settlements Development Fund, and the Chairman of the New Urban Communities Authority, all in their official capacities.
Significantly, demolitions began without issuing formal expropriation orders or offering clear alternatives. To date, only one displaced resident has received a usufruct residential unit despite full ownership of the demolished property. Under the Giza Governorate’s development scheme, approximately 4,800 families are slated for relocation from Nazlet El-Samman.
