European Parliament slams Egypt’s deteriorating human rights situation

The European Parliament yesterday condemned the “continuous restrictions on fundamental democratic rights” in Egypt and the targeting of human rights defenders.

In a resolution, the Parliament reiterated its call on member states to “halt exports of surveillance technology and security equipment to Egypt that can facilitate attacks on human rights defenders and civil society activists, including on social media”.

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It has also reiterated its continued outrage at the torture and brutal murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni and stressed that it will continue to press the EU authorities to engage with their Egyptian counterparts until the perpetrators are held accountable.

Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Italian graduate studying for his PhD at Cambridge University, went missing on the fifth anniversary of the January 25 Revolution. His body was found days later lying on the side of a Cairo highway showing signs of torture.

Giulio Regeni – Cartoon [Sarwar Ahmed/MiddleEastMonitor]