US Senator John McCain denounced a “crackdown on human rights and democracy under President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.” McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said El Sisi did not fulfilling the demands of the January 25, 2011 revolution, and his rule has seen the arrest of “tens of thousands of dissidents, including 19 American citizens,” increased censorship of the media, and the passing of “a draconian [NGOs] law.” The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday denouncing McCain’s comments, describing them as “nothing more than another attempt to undermine the Egyptians’ celebrations of the January Revolution through reiterating flimsy claims previously refuted with evidence,” and said that Egypt has been working to uphold the rule of law and democratic values.

Meanwhile, UN human rights experts have urged Egypt to stop executions until it has reviewed all death sentences and to retry any convictions that are found to rest on unfair trials, Reuters reports. Egypt’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva did not immediately comment on the appeal.