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-9-2020-0427
on behalf of the S&D Group · Rapporteur: Kati Piri, Pierfrancesco Majorino
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Parliament's resolution condemns the human rights crackdown in Egypt and the arrests of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) staff Mohammed Basheer, Kareem Ennarah and Gasser Abed El Razek.¶¶ It calls for the release of detained activists, journalists and lawyers, including Patrick George Zaki, and for charges against them to be dropped.¶¶¶ It urges Egypt to repeal Decree No. 2165/2017, the 2019 NGO law and the counterterrorism law, and to end the state of emergency.¶¶¶ It asks the EU and member states to impose targeted sanctions on Egyptian officials, halt arms and surveillance technology exports, and condition cooperation and funding on human rights progress.¶¶¶ It calls for a moratorium on executions, cooperation with Italy over Giulio Regeni's murder, and a UN Human Rights Council monitoring mechanism on Egypt.¶¶¶
Key points
- Deplores the overall human rights situation in Egypt, including the crackdown on civil society, mass arrests, torture and proceedings against people for exercising fundamental freedoms.¶
- Condemns the arrests of EIPR staff Mohammed Basheer, Kareem Ennarah and Gasser Abed El Razek, welcomes their provisional release, and urges withdrawal of all charges and restrictive measures against them and Hossam Bahgat.¶
- Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Patrick George Zaki and for all charges against him to be dropped.¶
- Condemns enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and calls for the release of named detained activists, lawyers and journalists.¶
- Calls on Egypt to repeal Decree No. 2165/2017, replace the nationwide state of emergency with proportionate measures after 26 January 2021, and guarantee media freedom.¶¶
- Calls on the EU and member states to protect human rights defenders who work with them and on Egypt's judiciary to ensure fair trials.¶¶
- Denounces systematic pre-trial detention of dissenters and calls for an end to violence, harassment and censorship against human rights defenders, journalists, women's rights activists, LGBTI people and minorities.¶¶
- Deplores arrests of women and LGBTI people on morality and debauchery charges and calls for an end to prosecution based on sexual orientation.¶
- Calls for the repeal of the 2019 NGO law and the counterterrorism law, and for civilian cases before military courts to be referred to civil courts.¶¶
- Calls on Egypt to cooperate with Italian authorities over the murder of Giulio Regeni and to hand over the four named suspects for trial in Italy.¶
- Urges Egypt to enact an immediate moratorium on executions, release juveniles sentenced to death, and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.¶
- Calls on the EU and member states to impose targeted sanctions on Egyptian officials, halt arms and surveillance technology exports, condition funding on human rights impact assessments, and create a UN Human Rights Council monitoring mechanism.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Egyptian authorities, who are urged to release detainees, repeal laws and end the state of emergency.¶¶¶
- Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and activists in Egypt, who face detention and prosecution.¶¶
- EIPR staff and founder Hossam Bahgat, who face charges and restrictive measures.¶
- EU member states, which are asked to halt arms exports and impose sanctions.¶¶
- The EU and its institutions, which are asked to condition cooperation and funding on human rights progress.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- more than 4.000 citizens arbitrarily detained since the demonstrations¶
- an estimated 60,000 people imprisoned on political grounds
- more than 110 people executed in 2020, with 66 since 3 October¶
- at least 40 persons at imminent risk of execution
- at least 17 juveniles have received death sentences since 2011
- Patrick George Zaki's detention order prolonged on 6 December for 45 days¶
- state of emergency in place since 10 April 2017, extended most recently on 26 October 2020¶
- state of emergency expires on 26 January 2021¶
Legal basis: Articles 2, 3(5), 21, 24, 29 and 31 of the Treaty on European Union and Articles 10 and 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union¶