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REP LIEU STATEMENT ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS IN EGYPT

July 22, 2021

WASHINGTON –Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after officials announced that the Egyptian government had freed activists Esraa Abdel-Fattah and Abdel-Nasser Ismail, as well as journalist Gamal el-Gamal. Rep. Lieu is leading the effort to urge the Biden-Harris Administration to hold Egypt accountable for human rights concerns, particularly attacks against journalists and the independent media.

"Egyptians are currently living under the most repressive government in Egypt's modern history. Human rights organizations have documented the Egyptian government's systematic abuses, which includes massacres, extrajudicial executions, and widespread torture. Basic civil liberties have disappeared within the country, and there are currently over 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt. I am concerned by the rapidly narrowing space for free speech in Egypt, especially press freedoms, which is why I previously circulated a congressional letter highlighting the ongoing crackdown against independent journalists and media in Egypt. I am pleased this letter has already reached various groups in Egypt. While the recent release of journalist Gamal el-Gamal is a welcome step, many of his colleagues remain in prison for exercising their basic freedoms. I will continue to highlight the human rights crisis in Egypt and urge President Biden to use the full range of tools at his disposal to ensure that our strategic partnership with Egypt reflects our values as well as our interests."

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