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.

Seth Binder

Tess McEnery

Featured Publications

Egypt + more
MENA

Apr 2024

Statement

Joint Statement – 2,000 Days of Arbitrary Detention for Egyptian Human Rights Defender Hoda Abdelmoneim

Feb 2024

Statement

Joint Statement in Support of Sinai Foundation for Human Rights and Its Director after Threats and Smears from Egyptian Authorities

Feb 2024

Commentary

Advancing Democracy Overseas – Not Isolationism – Protects American Interests, writes Tess McEnery and Patrick Quirk in the National Interest

Tess McEnery

Feb 2024

Joint Statement – Thirteen Years After Mubarak's Ouster, Unprecedented Repression and Economic Instability in Egypt

Feb 2024

Statement

Joint Statement – 17 Groups Oppose Proposal to Undermine Arms Sales Oversight and Transparency

Letters and Statements

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

May 2023

Joint Statement – Detained Academic At Risk of Death in Egypt

POMED 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

Featured Publications

Joint Statement – 2,000 Days of Arbitrary Detention for Egyptian Human Rights Defender Hoda Abdelmoneim

Joint Statement in Support of Sinai Foundation for Human Rights and Its Director after Threats and Smears from Egyptian Authorities

Advancing Democracy Overseas – Not Isolationism – Protects American Interests, writes Tess McEnery and Patrick Quirk in the National Interest

Joint Statement – Thirteen Years After Mubarak's Ouster, Unprecedented Repression and Economic Instability in Egypt

Joint Statement – 17 Groups Oppose Proposal to Undermine Arms Sales Oversight and Transparency

Letters and Statements

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

Joint Statement – Detained Academic At Risk of Death in Egypt

POMED 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.