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Human rights delegation aims to focus international attention on Egyptian army crimes

February 5, 2014 at 2:12 am

An Egyptian delegation is visiting several European countries as part of a campaign to focus the world’s attention on Egypt’s recent military crimes. According to Al-Jazeera, the delegation plans to meet with officials and public figures from various European and African countries to explain the anti-coup position. The delegation’s first stop is Geneva.


The members of the delegation include: Eslam Lutfi, a former member of Egypt’s Youth Coalition; Wael Qandil, a prominent journalist; Hatem Azzam, a member of the Addameer Front; Dr Omar Ashour, a professor at Exeter University, Dr Maha Azzam, a member of the Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs in London; and Maysa Abdel-Latif and Nahla Nasser, both members of “Egyptian Expats for Democracy Movement”.

Lutfi told Al-Jazeera that: “The delegation aims to explain the political situation in Egypt and to uncover the ongoing human rights violations in the country in an effort to stop them and to revive our democratic process. The delegation will meet with committees and UN officials, as well as representatives of international human rights organisations in Switzerland. The delegation does not represent any political party, group or alliance. It is a diplomatic initiative that only represents the participating figures as concerned individuals.”

Lutfi further explained that: “In light of the continued human rights violations in Egypt, we do not anticipate a political solution. And even if a political solution is agreed under diplomatic pressure, the situation will soon explode again. Therefore we demand an immediate halt to all violations and the prosecution of those involved.”

Abdel-Latif told Al-Jazeera that she personally decided to join the delegation “following the army’s operation to disperse the sit-in at the Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo last August, so that she could inform the world about the sit-in.” Abdel-Latif left her home in France and joined the sit-in for 35 days, miraculously surviving the attack. Thus she knows first-hand that there were no weapons at the sit-in, and that it was a peaceful protest. Abdel-Latif explains that, “I plan to tell the stories of humanity that I lived, especially the stories of martyrs who lived alongside me at the sit-in. I have been shocked by the media distortion campaign against the protestors, despite the hideous methods of the security forces to attack the protestors.”