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Calls for UK MPs to stand up for human rights in Egypt

September 11, 2018 at 2:35 pm

Egyptian security offices can be seen violently arresting citizens [Ashraf Amra/Apaimages]

Members of Parliament in the UK must stand up for “values that define Britain” and “actively protest” against the issuing of 75 death sentences against pro-democracy activists in Egypt, the Egyptian Revolutionary Council said in a statement today.

Organisation head, Maha Azzam, wrote: “I urge you to contact the FCO and ask that HM Government to inform the Egyptian government that it expects its ‘partners’ to abide, at the very least, to the bare minimum of internationally accepted standards of due process; and not to use execution as a weapon in its arsenal against dissidents.”

Egyptian authorities, under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, systematically use “torture” to force detainees to confess, Azzam added, continuing: “the Egyptian courts under the present regime blatantly disregard due process”.

Read: Egypt death sentences ‘unfair’, ‘miscarriage of justice’ says UN

On Saturday Egypt sentences 75 people to death including prominent opposition leaders Essam Al-Erian and Mohamed Beltagi over a 2013 sit-in which ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters.

Six hundred defendents were also handed jail terms including 25 who received life sentences.