The conversation on Egypt in the global press is being dominated by Human Rights Watch report that claims the nation’s security services “routinely” torture political detainees. The story is getting wide pick-up by the wires as well as The Guardian, CNN, the BBC, Vice and Ireland’s Independent, among many others. The report alleges torture is “widespread and systematic” and could amount to “a crime against humanity.” HRW suggests President Abdel Fattah El Sisi should “direct the Justice Ministry to create an independent special prosecutor empowered to inspect detention sites, investigate and prosecute abuse by the security services, and publish a record of action taken.”

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid responded to the report by saying HRW has always been a biased organization due to its sources of funding and have shown an inability to comprehend the situation on the ground in Egypt. Abu Zeid said Egypt’s existing judiciary is competent to deal with any rights violations.