Egyptian authorities severely punish peaceful criticism against the government and routinely silence journalists, bloggers, and social media users. In January, a TV anchor was sentenced to one year in prison for interviewing a gay man on television. “Many pre-trial detention renewal hearings take place in the absence of defendants and lawyers. US President Donald Trump met with al-Sisi on three separate occasions in 2019: in the White House in April, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in August in France, and at the UN General Assembly in September. Under these rules, which among other things prohibit “insulting state institutions,” “generalization,” and “harming state interests,” the council has censored newspapers, websites and tv shows. Human Rights in Egypt’s Relations with the World December 10, 2020 11:46 am For days before the visit of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to France, on the sixth of December, international media and observers geared up to press the French president Emmanuel Macron into discussing one main topic with the Egyptian president. In response to the same question, President El-Sisi noted that “the Egyptian state has been fighting an extremist Islamic organization that has been wreaking havoc in Egypt for over 90 years (in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood). His body was found, very badly tortured, nine days later. According to the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, as of June authorities executed at least 15 prisoners in three cases on political grounds. In a September meeting with al-Sisi, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson chose to highlight economic ties but made no mention of the mass arrests that preceded the meeting. Human Rights Watch documented several indiscriminate and possibly unlawful air and ground attacks by security forces. Constitutional amendments approved in an unfair referendum in April 2019 extended al-Sisi’s current term from four to six years, allow him to run for one additional term, and name him the head of the Supreme Council for Judicial Bodies and Authorities. Human Rights Watch documented demolitions of at least 3,600 homes and commercial buildings by the army between January and May 2018 alone. “Over the years, Karim has supported many journalists who come to him for comment,” said Kelly. Egypt: Human rights activist arrested outside Public Prosecutor’s office 23 June 2020, 17:06 UTC Egyptian security forces today whisked away human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience Sanaa Seif from outside the Public Prosecutor’s office in New Cairo, where she was waiting to file a complaint after suffering a violent assault. Detainees include well-known leftist activists Ziad al-Elaimy and Hossam Mo’nis. They include biased media and human rights organizations with links to countries that hold animosity towards the Egyptian state and President El-Sisi, personally, such as Qatar and Turkey, because of his role in discrediting the Muslim Brotherhood and overthrowing them outside the political arena of Egypt and the entire Middle East, in 2013. Egypt censored gay-themed scenes from the film Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek. Since 2017, authorities have blocked an estimated 600 news and political and human rights websites, as well as social media sites and secure communications apps, without judicial authorization. More news and political websites were blocked before the constitutional referendum in April. Authorities prosecuted and banned from leaving the country leading women’s rights activists, including Mozn Hassan, head of Nazra for Feminist Studies and Azza Soliman, head of the Centre for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance. EIPR is one of the few remaining human rights organisations in Egypt. In view of escalating violations in Egypt and its lack of constructive cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, the EU should step up its scrutiny in 2020 by systematically raising the … Shoukry made his statement during a meeting with the Technical Secretariat of the Permanent Supreme Committee of Human Rights. Authorities unfairly banned 83 defendants in the case from travel and froze their assets. As Karim Ennarah, the head of the criminal justice unit in one of Egypt’s leading human rights groups, spent his 37 th birthday on Monday behind bars, calls for his release, along with his detained colleagues, have intensified and gained momentum from sympathizers worldwide. Since April 2017, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has maintained a nation-wide state of emergency that gives security forces unchecked powers. — Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) November 20, 2020 Rights groups estimate about 60,000 detainees in Egypt are political prisoners including secular activists, journalists, lawyers, and … 19 Dec 2020 The European Parliament has passed a resolution urging member states to consider imposing targeted restrictions against Egypt for its crackdown on human rights … We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Levant an independent media organization that broadcasts daily news on the Internet, and a printed newspaper published in London and distributed in European capitals in both Arabic and English. Torture practices have also affected well-known activists such as Alaa Abdel Fattah and Israa Abdel Fattah. 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