Tree Pruning at Heliopolis Children’s Park Referred to Prosecution

Cairo Governorate has referred the case of excessive tree pruning at Heliopolis Children’s Park to the Public Prosecution and ordered works at the site to stop following a field inspection.

The park is managed by the Heliopolis Association. In coordination with Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad, a committee from the Cairo General Authority for Cleanliness and Beautification and Nozha District inspected the site and concluded that some trees had been excessively pruned.

Governor of Cairo Ibrahim Saber subsequently ordered the works to stop. According to the governorate, officials from the Heliopolis Association submitted an internal report stating that some branches posed risks to children visiting the park and therefore needed to be cut.

The governorate said, however, that the pruning had been carried out without consulting specialists, without obtaining the necessary approvals and without following the required technical procedures. The matter was therefore referred to the Public Prosecution for investigation.

Cairo Governorate also called on media outlets and social media users to verify information with the relevant authorities before publishing or sharing updates on the case.