The Decade-Long Battle .. Curtain Falls on Souq Al-bouhi Case Following Compensation Payments to the Affected
After nearly ten years of litigation, the Giza Governorate has finalized the disbursement of compensation to those affected by Souq Al-bouhi dispute, granting each claimant EGP 200,000 in exchange for waiving enforcement of the judgment. This marks the conclusion of one of the longest-running cases waged by residents in defense of their property rights and in opposition to their expropriation.
The total amount disbursed to 43 affected individuals reached EGP 8.6 million, following extensive negotiations between the Giza Governorate, the North Giza District, and the claimants. These negotiations culminated in a settlement that served as an alternative to the enforcement of judicial rulings.
The terms of the agreement were as follows:
1. The Governorate withdrew its appeals filed before the Supreme Administrative Court challenging the rulings.
2. Each claimant signed a waiver of the judgment insofar as it recognized the right to a stall (bakya) and a monthly compensation of EGP 2,000 pending allocation of such stall.
3. The Giza Governorate undertook to pay a lump-sum compensation of EGP 200,000 to each claimant.
Although the settlement did not fully reflect the aspirations of the affected parties, nor did it rise to the full entitlements granted by the court, the prolonged duration of the dispute compelled them to accept the compromise. The disbursement of compensation thus represents both a vindication of their struggle to defend their property rights and a judicial acknowledgment of a critical principle: that persistence in litigation and resilience over nearly a decade ultimately secured recognition of their rights and resulted in fair compensation.
The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) welcomes this agreement as a milestone that brings an end to a protracted dispute, affirms the rights of the affected parties, and establishes an important judicial precedent. It reinforces the right to work, safeguards citizens’ entitlement to defend their interests, and affirms the State’s duty to remedy damages arising from public projects and administrative actions.
It is noteworthy that in April 2023, ECESR obtained a landmark ruling from the Administrative Court (Contracts Division, 11th Circuit), affirming the right of 43 claimants, occupants of fruit and vegetable stalls in Bouhi Street Market, Imbaba, Giza Governorate, to receive replacement shops for their demolished stalls.
ECESR lawyers filed 43 lawsuits on behalf of the claimants, resulting in a judgment obligating the Giza Governorate to construct the agreed commercial premises pursuant to the 2018 protocol, while continuing to pay each claimant EGP 2,000 monthly until execution, and further obligating the administrative authority to bear litigation costs.
However, the government represented by the Governor of Giza and the head of North Giza District challenged the ruling before the Supreme Administrative Court. The recent compensation settlement, however, rendered these appeals moot, with the litigation concluded through settlement, thereby bringing to an end a dispute that had persisted for a full decade.
