Egypt

Egypt is one of MEDC’s focus countries. Our work on Egypt covers topics such as authoritarianism, governance, civil society, political prisoners, democracy and human rights advocacy, and U.S. policy, including foreign aid and arms sales.

Featured Publications

Egypt + more
MENA + more
Saudi Arabia + more
Tunisia + more
United Arab Emirates

Feb 2025

Joint Statement – The AIMC Must End Its Role in Transnational Repression

Jan 2025

Press Release

Press Release: Civil Society Organizations Call for Urgent Human Rights Reforms as Egypt Faces UN Review

Jan 2025

Statement

Joint Statement: UN Universal Periodic Review Must Highlight Systematic Human Rights Violations in Egypt including Torture, Enforced Disappearances, and Unfair Trials

Jan 2025

Statement

Joint Statement: Human Rights Groups Urge Disclosure of Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi's Fate, Demand His Release and Call for Accountability

Dec 2024

Report

Control+Alt+Delete: The Exploitation of Meta Platforms to Silence Dissent in the Middle East

Letters and Statements

Feb 2025

Joint Letter to UAE Urgently Calling for Release and End to the Enforced Disappearance of Poet Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi

Jan 2025

Joint Letter to Secretary Rubio Urgently Calls on United States to Help Secure Release of Ahmed Kamel

Jan 2025

Joint Letter Calls for Urgent Congressional Action to Prevent Extradition of Abdel Rahman Youssef Al-Qaradawi

Nov 2024

British government urged to pause financial cooperation with Egypt until UK national Alaa Abd el-Fattah freed

MEDC in the News

“Egyptian criminal procedures code obligates the authorities to make sure that they do not try a person for the same crime more than once. Hoda is a human rights lawyer, so it’s no secret why she’s being targeted…She provided legal aid to everyone without discrimination, without basing it on political affiliation. And that, of course, angered the authorities because it shows honesty – and that, to them, is dangerous”.

Middle East Eye

, 01/24/2025

Yasmin Omar

“The idea was to not increase tensions or upset the Egyptians. Egypt was playing the role that the US wanted it to play.”

Mada Masr

, 01/14/2025

Seth Binder

“The Egyptian authorities should ensure the safety of his family in Egypt, and end their smear campaigns and the relentless, years-long crackdown on human rights groups and independent organizations.”

The New Arab

, 02/25/2024

Seth Binder

“This money is tainted. . . . This is an Egyptian government that is meddling in U.S. politics and foreign policy in an illegal way. . . . [For military aid to Egypt in Fiscal Year 2024, Congress] could consider topline reductions, removing the national security waiver on the portion that’s conditioned on human rights or increasing the portion that’s conditioned on human rights.”

TIME

, 09/27/2023

Seth Binder

“It’s clear that [the Government of Egypt’s] involvement and effort in trying to push to get military aid cleared and released is an indication that this is absolutely something they care strongly about, and they’re willing to do whatever they can to get the assistance that they think belongs to them.”

Al-Monitor

, 09/27/2023

Seth Binder

“You have a powerful senator in a privileged position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, potentially weighing in on one of the primary tools for advancing U.S. interests in Egypt, which is military aid.”

New Jersey Monitor

, 09/26/2023

Seth Binder

“We often hear that using military aid as leverage won’t work, as the Egyptian government doesn’t really care about the assistance. This indictment should put that argument to bed, it has clearly been proven false.”

The Guardian

, 09/25/2023

Seth Binder

“According to the three-count indictment, while enriching himself, Menendez used his position to prioritize the wants of Egypt’s corrupt and brutal government and security services,” said the Washington-based group the Freedom Initiative, which focuses on political prisoners held across the Middle East. “The indictment alleges significant efforts by the Egyptian government to improperly influence US policy and law. President Biden and his administration should demand an accounting from the Egyptian government and announce a review of the bilateral relationship.”

The Guardian

, 09/25/2023

The Freedom Initiative

He called on Congress to block pending U.S. aid “in order to make crystal clear that al-Sisi’s human rights record and infiltrating the U.S. political system will not be tolerated.”

Washington Post

, 09/22/2023

Seth Binder

“The regime has definitely entered a renewed and heightened phase of its repression as the presidential election approaches and the economy continues to falter.”

Wall Street Journal

, 09/16/2023

Seth Binder

Congressional Testimony

Sep 2020

Events

Egypt

March 26, 2024

Sisi’s Hollowed State: Ten Years of Autocracy in Egypt

Egypt

June 30, 2023

Sisi's Egypt: Ten Years Since the Coup

Egypt + more
MENA

December 12, 2022

African Human Rights Leaders Summit

Dog Socks

Support Our Work

Donate now to help support democratic reform and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

Your support helps MEDC continue to counter authoritarianism, free the unjustly detained, and demonstrate why democracy matters through our nonpartisan advocacy efforts and partnerships with grassroots organizations in the MENA region.

Egypt

Seth Binder

Yasmin Omar

Haydn Welch

Kristen McTighe

Featured Publications

Joint Statement – The AIMC Must End Its Role in Transnational Repression

Press Release: Civil Society Organizations Call for Urgent Human Rights Reforms as Egypt Faces UN Review

Joint Statement: UN Universal Periodic Review Must Highlight Systematic Human Rights Violations in Egypt including Torture, Enforced Disappearances, and Unfair Trials

Joint Statement: Human Rights Groups Urge Disclosure of Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi's Fate, Demand His Release and Call for Accountability

Control+Alt+Delete: The Exploitation of Meta Platforms to Silence Dissent in the Middle East

Letters and Statements

Joint Letter to UAE Urgently Calling for Release and End to the Enforced Disappearance of Poet Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi

Joint Letter to Secretary Rubio Urgently Calls on United States to Help Secure Release of Ahmed Kamel

Joint Letter Calls for Urgent Congressional Action to Prevent Extradition of Abdel Rahman Youssef Al-Qaradawi

British government urged to pause financial cooperation with Egypt until UK national Alaa Abd el-Fattah freed

MEDC in the News

Yasmin Omar

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

The Freedom Initiative

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Congressional Testimony

POMED’S Amy Hawthorne Testifies on Egypt before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs

POMED's Andrew Miller Testifies on Egypt before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Amy Hawthorne Testifies on Egypt before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Events

Sisi’s Hollowed State: Ten Years of Autocracy in Egypt

Sisi's Egypt: Ten Years Since the Coup

African Human Rights Leaders Summit

Support Our Work

Donate now to help support democratic reform and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

Your support helps MEDC continue to counter authoritarianism, free the unjustly detained, and demonstrate why democracy matters through our nonpartisan advocacy efforts and partnerships with grassroots organizations in the MENA region.