Egypt defends death penalty carried out against political opponents

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday defended the death penalty carried out against political opponents of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

In a statement reported by the Anadolu Agency, the ministry denied that detainees being held in Egyptian prisons had been tortured.

The ministry’s Ambassador to the UNHRC Alaa Yousef argued in the statement that all the news about arbitrary detentions and torture inside prisons were unfounded “claims”.

Yousef stressed that no one is detained except those who violate the law or the Egyptian Constitution, claiming that torture is a crime in Egypt and freedom of expression is a right guaranteed for everyone.

READ: Egypt Judges’ club condemns UN rights agency for criticising executions

Over the past year, international rights groups criticised Egypt for blocking many news websites and putting restrictions on journalists and the Egyptian media.

Meanwhile, Yousef stressed that the death penalty is carried out against those found guilty of the “most dangerous crimes” and this is carried out under tight and clear restrictions.

He called for the delegation of the EU to the UNHRC to consider four things when they speak about the death penalty in Egypt; cultural differences, the economic situation, not criticising the fully independent judicial system and not to think of success only one type of legal framework in different countries.

Since carrying out the military coup in 2013, Al-Sisi and his regime have been facing serious criticism regarding human rights violations.

On 25 February, he rejected European calls to stop the execution of dozens of youth who were accused of assassinating the Egyptian public prosecutor. The youth said they were tortured by electrocution in order to give confessions to justify their execution.