United States: A Unites States senator has stated that the US plans to withhold $85 million in military aid to Egypt since Cairo’s failed to uphold US conditions on freeing political prisoners and due to other human rights issues.
Senator Mr. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, urged US President Joe Biden’s administration to withhold $235 million more in military aid for what he described as Egypt’s “egregious human rights record.”
“The administration rightly decided to withhold that first tranche – $85 million tied to the release of political prisoners – because there’s just no question there has not been enough progress. I would urge the administration to finish the job and withhold the full $320 million until Egypt’s human rights and democracy record improves,” the senator added.
“Of the $85 million that is being withheld from Egypt, $55m will be redirected to Taiwan, and the remaining $30m to Lebanon,” the US State Department letter to congressional committees stated.
On the floor of the US Senate, Mr. Murphy said that Egypt had jailed more political prisoners than it had released since 2022. “Egypt has released more than 1,600 political prisoners since early 2022. That’s good news. During that same time, they have jailed 5,000 more. So for every political prisoner that Egypt releases, three more are jailed. That’s one step forward, and three steps back,” the senator noted.
“That’s not the kind of ‘clear and consistent progress’ in releasing political prisoners that the law requires. The administration was right to withhold the $85 million,” Mr. Murphy added.
Human rights groups have long accused Egypt of widespread human rights abuses under President Mr. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government, including torture and enforced disappearances. Egyptian authorities have taken some steps since late 2021 that they say aim to address rights, including launching a human rights strategy and ending a state of emergency, but critics have dismissed the measures as largely cosmetic.
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