Tawakkul Karman faced death threats from Egyptian coup supporters

Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace Laureate, Tawakkul Karman, said that she had received several death threats from supporters of the Egyptian coup and pro-coup journalists, prior to her visit to Cairo.

Explaining the ban on her entering Egypt, Karman said that some pro-coup officials in Egypt were trying to cover up human rights violations in the country, and she was denied entry to Cairo so that she would not become a witness to those violations.

Karman added that after the coup, Egypt has begun restricting rights and freedoms, with the pro-coup voices being the only ones currently heard. She said that thousands of anti-coup voices have been killed or imprisoned. She noted that she had headed to Egypt in order to bear witness to this injustice.

The Yemeni activist said that she considers herself responsible for unveiling the injustice that takes place in Egypt and the world, stressing that it is important that Egyptians preserve the achievements of the January 25 revolution.

She expressed regret that she was denied entry into Egypt, adding that this had happened because she defends and speaks about the achievements of the Arab Spring everywhere.

She refuted the criticisms directed at her over her closeness to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that she defends human rights everywhere and in all places where rights are being violated, including Egypt.

She noted that she had criticized some of the Muslim Brotherhood’s policies from time to time.

Karman also pointed out that the current government in Egypt closed all the TV stations that opposed the military coup and that many of the anti-coup activists were arrested or killed in front of the world.

She expressed worries about Egypt’s future, saying that the military rule will be ousted within months, if not weeks.