CAIRO (Middle East Eye/MEMO) – A senior Democratic U.S. senator has blocked an additional $75mn in American military aid to Egypt over concerns about the country’s human rights record.
Cairo receives around $1.3bn annually in military aid from the United States. While much of that figure has no restrictions, some of it is subject to conditions based on a law passed by Congress last year.
In September, the U.S. State Department withheld $130mn in military aid over broad human rights concerns.
At the time, it said it would allow another $75mn to be paid, citing progress by Egypt’s government on political prisoners and due process, including the release of 500 political detainees this year.
However on Monday, Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told Reuters he had rejected the State Department’s assessment justifying the aid.
The committee has jurisdiction over spending legislation, including U.S. assistance to Egypt.
“We should take this law very seriously, because the situation facing political prisoners in Egypt is deplorable,” Leahy said in a statement.
“We can’t give short shrift to the law because of other policy considerations. We all have a responsibility to uphold the law and to defend the due process rights of the accused, whether here or in Egypt,” Leahy said.
The conditions set by Congress last year require Egypt to make “clear and consistent progress” in freeing political prisoners and providing those detained with due process of law.
Meanwhile, more and more Egyptians online are calling for anti-government protests on 11 November to coincide with COP27 as human rights abuses in the country continue.
Over the last several months human rights defenders have ramped up pressure on the Egyptian government to drastically improve the rights situation in the country as the UN climate summit approaches.
But thousands remain behind bars, subject to travel bans and prohibited from accessing adequate medication, sunlight and reading material.
Among the people calling for protests are whistleblower Mohamed Ali and actor Khaled Naga, who was kicked out of the actors’ union in Egypt after criticizing President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
In September 2020, dozens of anti-government protesters took to the streets holding banners calling on Sisi to stand down.
One year earlier Egyptians took to the streets as discontent over human rights abuses and strict austerity measures plunged hundreds of people into poverty.