CAIRO, Feb 9 (Aswat Masriya) - Egyptian authorities shut down El Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence on Thursday.

The move comes almost one year after the authorities’ first attempt to shut down the centre in what El Nadeem described as part of the “ongoing crackdown on civil society”.

An interior ministry official told Aswat Masriya that the health ministry is responsible for the closure decision.

An asset freeze was imposed on the centre but was removed in November 2016.

At the time, Nadeem’s lawyer Taher Abu al-Nasr told Reuters that an employee was not allowed to cash a check for the center and was told by a bank manager that the central bank had ordered its account suspended until it registers as a non-governmental organization with the social solidarity ministry.

El Nadeem clarified that it is not registered under the controversial law 84/ 2002 since it is registered as a clinic with the health ministry. 

Founded in 1993, El Nadeem provides "psychological management and rehabilitation to victims of torture," and has become reputable over the years, especially within Egypt's civil society.