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

Nov 2024

Commentary

El-Sisi’s Silent Revolution

Maged Mandour

Oct 2024

Statement

Joint Statement: After Six Years of Arbitrary Detention, Egyptian Authorities Should Immediate Release Human Rights Lawyer Hoda Abdelmonem and Drop Fabricated Charges

Oct 2024

Commentary

It’s Not the Law, It’s the System: Proposed Criminal Reform Will Not Free Alaa

Yasmin Omar

Sep 2024

Statement

Alaa Abd el-Fattah Must be Released this Month at the End of His Prison Sentence

Sep 2024

Statement

Joint Statement: NGOs voice fears for dozens of Egyptian prisoners, hundreds others, facing execution for drugs-related offenses in Saudi Arabia

Letters and Statements

Nov 2024

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

Feb 2024

Joint Letter - 20 Groups Express Support for the SAFEGUARD Act, Urge Congress to Act

Nov 2023

Joint Letter to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the Case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah

Jul 2023

Joint Letter – Biden Administration Should Not Provide Military Aid to Egypt in Light of Ongoing Human Rights Violations

MEDC in the News

“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

“[The $85 million withheld in military aid to Egypt] is an important reversal from last year. . . . But if the administration withholds less than it has the last two years it would in essence be saying to al-Sisi that it believe the Egyptian government has improved its rights record, which is just not true.”

Reuters

, 09/13/2023

Seth Binder

“The human rights crisis in Egypt is a leading driver of the country’s instability and should therefore be a U.S. national security priority.”

Washington Post

, 09/08/2023

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

Tess McEnery

Yasmin Omar

Yousuf Abdelfatah

Haydn Welch

Kristen McTighe

Featured Publications

El-Sisi’s Silent Revolution

Joint Statement: After Six Years of Arbitrary Detention, Egyptian Authorities Should Immediate Release Human Rights Lawyer Hoda Abdelmonem and Drop Fabricated Charges

It’s Not the Law, It’s the System: Proposed Criminal Reform Will Not Free Alaa

Alaa Abd el-Fattah Must be Released this Month at the End of His Prison Sentence

Joint Statement: NGOs voice fears for dozens of Egyptian prisoners, hundreds others, facing execution for drugs-related offenses in Saudi Arabia

Letters and Statements

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

Joint Letter - 20 Groups Express Support for the SAFEGUARD Act, Urge Congress to Act

Joint Letter to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the Case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah

Joint Letter – Biden Administration Should Not Provide Military Aid to Egypt in Light of Ongoing Human Rights Violations

MEDC in the News

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

The Freedom Initiative

Seth Binder

Seth Binder

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.