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Wednesday, 29 May 2019

Egypt’s human rights situation is back in the foreign press

Human rights is back in the foreign press: A 134-page report from Human Rights Watch accuses security forces of misconduct in North Sinai. The report claims to document arbitrary arrests, torture and collective punishment. It also accuses terrorist groups of having “committed horrific crimes … including kidnapping scores of residents and security force members and extrajudicially executing some.” The story is receiving widespread coverage: Reuters | BBC | Euronews | Fox News.

Egypt has dismissed the report as “groundless,” with Armed Forces spokesman Tamer El Refaie telling state news agency MENA that the organization “is seeking to tarnish the image of Egypt and its army.”

The continued detention of Al Jazeera reporter Mahmoud Hussein is also drawing attention, with the International Press Institute (IPI) expressing “dismay” that he has not yet been released after an Egyptian court ruled last week that he should be set free after being held without charge.

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