Mohamed ElBaradei, the former Vice President of the Republic, called on the Egyptian authorities to release the political detainees, to be a breakthrough in the face of the crises facing the country, especially the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Corona pandemic.
In a tweet on the Twitter site, ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said, "I wonder with millions: will we release prisoners of conscience who did not participate in any acts of violence or are judged against them? Or will it be the beginning of a breakthrough that we need while we are facing crucial issues such as the Renaissance Dam, Corona and terrorism?
ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, is staying outside Egypt after he resigned from the post of Vice President of the Republic, in protest at the killing of hundreds of supporters of the late President Mohamed Morsi during a bloody dispersal of their sit-in in Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square, east of Cairo, stressing that the dispersal in this way interrupted political negotiations to end The crisis is peacefully.
I ask, with millions,: Will we release prisoners of conscience who did not participate in any acts of violence or receive court rulings against them, I say if we released these prisoners and return to their families, they would constitute a threat to national security or would it be the beginning of a breakthrough that we need while we are facing crucial issues such as the Renaissance Dam, Corona and terrorism ?
- Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) March 13, 2021
Every Egyptian, regardless of his orientation, must feel pain from the severity of the statement issued on human rights from the countries that support Egypt most politically, economically and militarily, and that he is also wary of its repercussions.
Regardless of any disagreements that may be over the details of the statement, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive review of many policies and practices.
- Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) March 13, 2021
ElBaradei's repeated call comes two days after a joint statement issued by 31 countries, in which it urged Egypt to stop prosecuting activists under anti-terrorism laws, and called for their unconditional release.
The statement - which was read by the representative of Finland before the United Nations Human Rights Council - called on the Egyptian authorities to lift restrictions imposed on the media and release all detained journalists, and the statement also urged Cairo to cooperate constructively with the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations.
The United States - which enjoys observer status in the Human Rights Council - signed the joint statement on Egypt, the first since 2014 that calls on the Egyptian authorities to lift restrictions imposed on freedom of expression and assembly.
Most of the signatory countries are European, and Australia, Canada and New Zealand joined it, and no country from Africa or the Middle East supported the statement.
A catastrophic human rights situation in # Egypt has led to an international campaign of criticism ... and # Cairo is required to correct its situation in this file pic.twitter.com/vyVU5EdXlu
- Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) March 13, 2021
The statement coincided with statements by the US State Department spokesman, Ned Price, in which he said that Washington has deep concern about the human rights record in Egypt, including restrictions on civil society, freedom of expression and arrests, there is repression of civil society and violations of human rights.
Price's statements came during a press conference, held Thursday, when he responded to a question about US arms deals in favor of Egypt and the human rights situation in the country.
Price indicated that the US Secretary of State had the opportunity to raise the issue of human rights with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, adding that Washington will not have a "blank check", whether close allies or competitors when it comes to our values and principles.
An increasing American concern and escalation regarding the file of #human rights in #Egypt .. Has Cairo lost its ally?
pic.twitter.com/k9Bxp0qyky
- Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) March 13, 2021
On the other hand, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its complete rejection of the statement, considering that what was contained in hadiths sent were based on inaccurate information.
The Egyptian Parliament also announced its rejection of the human rights criticisms leveled by several countries in Egypt, and a statement by the Council said that it rejects the politicization of human rights issues to serve political purposes.
In turn, a statement by the Senate, the second chamber of the Egyptian parliament, said that "no person was arrested because of his opinion, nor was a legitimate media site blocked," in response to countries that criticize human rights in Egypt.
“No person was arrested because of his opinion, and a legitimate media site was not blocked.” # The Senate rejects the statement of countries that criticize human rights in # Egypt pic.twitter.com/I2tMNAurtH
- Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) March 13, 2021