DAWN calls upon the US to sanction Egyptian officials involved in spying on critics

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) has called on the US State Department to take urgent action to sanction Egyptian government officials involved in spying on critics of the Egyptian government residing in the United States.

On 6 January, the US Department of Justice announced that it had arrested an Egyptian-American citizen, Pierre Gerges, in New York City, who worked as an unauthorised foreign agent for the Egyptian government to track and obtain information on political opponents of Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

The Ministry of Justice stated that Gerges was working for the Egyptian government to spy on its critics there and to help Egyptian officials attend training courses for law enforcement affiliates.

“In the wake of the Saudi government’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi and other attacks on critics of Middle Eastern governments residing in the United States, we need to acknowledge that Egypt’s targeting of critics through espionage puts them at significant risk of violence and harm,” said DAWN Executive Director, Sarah Leah Whitson.

“Egypt’s violation of our government’s trust is. This is a direct effort to threaten, harass and intimidate people in our country, including the thousands of Egyptians who have sought asylum to escape the persecution of General Sisi, who imitated Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in attacking dissidents. Here.”

READ: ‘Egypt is the republic of fear:’ New videos show torture of prisoners inside Katameya Prison

DAWN called on the US State Department to take immediate action to investigate, identify and sanction Egyptian government officials involved in spying on critics of Egypt residing in the United States under the Khashoggi Ban that was announced a short time ago.

The Khashoggi ban authorises the State Department to issue travel bans on foreign government officials who are believed to have directly participated in serious anti-dissident activities abroad.

DAWN urged the US government to publicly identify the individuals and entities in Egypt involved in this espionage to ensure protection could be sought from them. It also demanded that those targeted by the Egyptian government be informed of its spying and protected.