Egypt frees three activists, members of a leading rights group, on Thursday following international criticism of their arrest. The men who work for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights were accused of linking up with terror groups. Moreover, they were accused of spreading false news. EIPR serves as an independent group that delivers news on politics, civil, economic, and social issues. Dozens of activists have been arrested under the reign of president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. However, the country remains adamant over the human rights violation accusation the world makes.
International involvement in the arrests
The prisoners include Abdel Razek, Karim Ennarah, the criminal justice director for EIPR, and Mohammed Basheer, the administrative manager. Their freedom from Tori prison commences on Thursday. However, their investigations are still pending. It is not yet clear whether their release postulates no charges. An official statement awaits from the prosecution team. The US has expressed concerns about the arrest. They urged the country to release them back during President Trump’s reign. Biden`s nominee for US secretary of state, took it to Twitter to defend the rights group member.
Antony Blinken pointed out there was no offense in meeting foreign diplomats. Neither is it a crime to advocate for human rights peacefully. Celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, Emma Thompson, and Stephen Fry strongly called out for their release. Western policymakers and a group of diplomats from European countries all met on November 3rd for a discussion. However, it is thanks to the US secretary-general nominee, Antony Blinken, for catalyzing the release.
The fate of Human rights activists in Egypt
Advocating for human rights in Egypt is more like going against the government. An act that will expose you to the government’s harsh world of the law. Many human rights leaders have been subject to frozen assets and bans from traveling. This is all in the attempts to put a halt to their activities. Thousands of activists, protestors, and even lawyers have endured prison charges under President Sisi’s rule.
With the US’s new government under Biden, Egypt’s human rights state is an agenda at the table. Hopefully, a discussion will be in place to propose sustainable rights to foster their operations without government interference.
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