French deputies in the European Parliament called on President Emmanuel Macron to place the file of respect for human rights at the core of his talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, warning of the "shame" that befell France after receiving the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, coinciding with Sisi’s arrival today in Paris.
In a letter published by the French newspaper Le Monde, 15 MPs from the Greens bloc in the European Parliament said that respecting human rights should be at the core of the relationship with Sisi's government, a principle that “cannot be negotiated”.
They added that the Egyptian government's violations of human rights are immeasurable, and it does not seem that anything will stop them today, and they stressed that France should not recommend such violations.
The French deputies expressed their confidence that the French president's sense of duty and honor will spare him the stigma that befell France after receiving Gaddafi, and they asked him not to receive Sisi in the way he received Gaddafi, and they also appealed to him to avoid burdening their country with this "betrayal" of their values and humanity, as they put it.
They affirmed - in the statement - that Macron's government owes France more than just a passing reference to human rights at the end of a press conference, and held Macron responsible for informing Sisi of the need to respect his human rights obligations.
The French deputies believed that Egypt was a large country and could deal with internal disputes by means other than repression, violations of human rights, torture and arbitrary arrests.
In this context, they called for the release of all detainees in Egypt for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association.
Representatives in the European Parliament said that the Egyptian regime, which continues to contempt for human rights, arrested 3 members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights immediately after their meeting with European diplomats, and confirmed that the Egyptian regime's message to the European Union is clear and unequivocal.
In this regard, they stressed that their release at the last moment should not be a pressure or bargaining chip.
The deputies addressed their open letter to President Macron, Defense Minister Florence Parly, and Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who will meet Sisi during his visit to Paris scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The last meeting between the two presidents was in early 2019 in Cairo (Reuters)
An official visit
The Egyptian President arrived in Paris on a 3-day official visit, which aims to strengthen cooperation between Paris and Cairo in facing crises in the Middle East, without ignoring the sensitive issue of human rights.
Sisi arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon via Orly airport, where French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will receive him in the evening for a meeting followed by a dinner.
Al-Sisi will meet Macron tomorrow morning, in the first direct meeting between them since their meeting in Cairo about two years ago, which revealed differences between them related to the issue of human rights.
The Elysee affirmed that Macron will bring up the human rights file again, while NGOs defending human rights yesterday expressed their "astonishment at seeing the red carpet stretched out" to Sisi in France, and sent an appeal to Macron in which it condemned "France's indulgence at the highest level" in confrontation. Violent repression "in Egypt.