Egyptian President El-Sisi to inaugurate new sessions of parliament
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has called for the House of Representatives to commence their second legislative session today.
Under El-Sisi’s watch, scores of government critics and human rights defenders have been detained for long periods of time, often without set trial dates. COVID-19 has exacerbated this pattern of behavior, with critics of the government’s COVID-19 response being detained under the premise of spreading “fake news.” During talks this week with US President Biden, Biden threatened to withhold $130 million in military aid to Egypt if the government does not provide a concrete plan to change the country’s human rights record.
Regional conflicts such as Yemen, Libya, and the Israel-Palestine conflict weigh heavy on Egypt’s mind, and these conflicts threaten to spill over into Egypt. To ensure that Egypt receives the US military aid, expect El-Sisi to use today’s—and Tuesday’s Senate session—to address the detention of dissidents. El-Sisi may elect to unfreeze the assets and remove the 5-year travel ban on certain NGOs and their leaders as a demonstration of Egypt’s willingness to address human rights concerns. Long-term, Egypt is unlikely to fully change its Machiavellian system, but international pressure may force small changes for Egyptian human rights
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