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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2020/2912(RSP))

On the deteriorating situation of human rights in Egypt, in particular the case of the activists of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)

B-9-2020-0424

on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group · Rapporteur: Miguel Urbán Crespo

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 25 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution condemns Egypt's crackdown on human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and activists, and the arrests of three staff of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). It calls for the release of tens of thousands of political prisoners, an end to torture, enforced disappearance and executions, and the repeal of the 2019 NGO law and abusive counter-terrorism legislation. It urges the EU and member states to review relations with Egypt, restrict budget support, set human rights benchmarks, suspend expulsions to Egypt and ban exports of security equipment that could be used for repression.

Key points

  1. Parliament deplores Egypt's intensifying crackdown on fundamental rights and on human rights defenders, lawyers, protesters, journalists, bloggers, trade unionists, students, children, women's rights activists, LGBTI people, civil society, political opponents and minorities.
  2. It is outraged at the arrests of EIPR staff Gasser Abdel Razek, Karim Ennarah and Mohammad Basheer after their meeting with European diplomats, welcomes their provisional release and urges that all charges and restrictive measures be dropped.
  3. It calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Egypt's tens of thousands of political prisoners and, pending release, full access to families, lawyers of their choice and adequate medical care.
  4. It denounces the practice of "recycling" charges to keep detainees in pre-trial detention and urges Egypt to stop it, notably in case 855/2020.
  5. It deplores the use of counter-terrorism legislation against civil society, including the 15-year sentence in absentia of Bahey el-din Hassan and additions to Egypt's "terrorists list".
  6. It urges Egypt to close Case 173/2011 (the 'Foreign Funding Case'), lift travel bans on human rights defenders and NGO staff, and repeal the 2019 NGO law in favour of a framework drafted with civil society.
  7. It demands legislation to eliminate discrimination and violence against women and girls, an end to prosecutions of women over social media posts and of LGBTI people for their sexual orientation, and protection for rape survivors and witnesses.
  8. It deplores the rise in executions, urges a moratorium on executions with a view to abolition, and calls on Egypt to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
  9. It condemns enforced disappearance and torture, and demands that Egypt hand over the four security officials accused in the abduction, torture and murder of Giulio Regeni for trial in Rome.
  10. It regrets the EU's failure to respond resolutely to violations under President al-Sisi, rejects the award of a French honorary medal to him and calls for the annulment of the awards.
  11. It urges the EU and member states to set up a UN Human Rights Council monitoring and reporting mechanism on Egypt, review relations and budget support, and make further cooperation conditional on human rights benchmarks.
  12. It calls for suspending expulsions to Egypt, denounces harassment of Sudanese refugees, and urges a Council Decision banning exports of security equipment and military aid usable for internal repression, plus revision of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP.

Who is affected

  • Egyptian authorities, who are urged to release prisoners, drop charges, repeal laws and end torture and executions.
  • Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, activists and EIPR staff, whose release and protection the resolution demands.
  • EU member states and EU-based companies, told to stop exporting arms, surveillance technology and crowd control tools to Egypt.
  • The Commission and the European External Action Service, asked to restrict budget support and postpone the EU-Egypt Association Council.
  • Sudanese refugees in Egypt, whose harassment and detention the resolution denounces.

Figures and deadlines

  • "53 mass trials" conducted since 2011, in which "2,182 death sentences" were handed down.
  • "at least 97 people" received the death penalty before military courts between 2017 and 2020.
  • Egypt executed "at least 110 people in 2020", with "66" since October 3rd.
  • "at least 39 people" are at risk of imminent execution.
  • "at least 17 children" have received death sentences since 2011.
  • Patrick Zaki's detention order was renewed for "45 days" on 6 December, along with "736 other detainees".
  • Bahey el-din Hassan was sentenced to "15 years' imprisonment in absentia".
  • France was Egypt's main arms supplier between "2013 and 2017".