Mideast: Egypt’s Brutal Clampdown on Political Dissidents and Human Rights Groups
NYT
Egypt’s current government under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is targeting political dissidents and human rights organizations at an increasing and alarming level. Leveling terror allegations at Islamist and pro-democracy groups alike, in a campaign of crackdowns that the Associated Press has described as “the heaviest crackdown on dissent in Egypt’s modern history.”
Recently, Italian courts have charged Egyptian national security officials over the death of Giulio Regini, a doctoral student who was killed in Cairo in early 2016. His death was met by international coverage when it occurred and, despite Egypt’s non-compliance in the investigation, more information has been garnered as to the role of security forces in his death. Far from being the only victim of the Egyptian security forces, several other foreign nationals and Egyptian citizens have died at the hands of the country’s security authorities. Without the work of human rights organizations active within the country, it would be harder to garner information on the abuses of Egypt’s authorities; but as Sisi’s government has continued on a path towards harsh campaigns of clampdowns on human rights groups in the country, these organizations may see their efforts severely threatened.
Beginning in 2013, when protestors clashed with security forces, Sisi’s regime made it clear that it was anti-protestor and would not tolerate dissent from the public and from political opposition. Since then and especially in recent times, leaders of human rights organizations in Egypt have been arbitrarily arrested, the country’s security forces have been allowed to perpetuate campaigns of repression with impunity, women have been detained on account of violating morality, and violence against the LGBTQ community has raged on.
Human rights violations and the repression of political dissidents, activists, and human rights organizations is not a new issue in Egypt. Indeed, since Sisi came to power in 2013 a main characteristic of his regime has been his resolve to go after protestors and any entity that threatens his hold over power in the country. And as with many other authoritarian regimes, Sisi has perpetuated a campaign of clamping down on the above under the guise of promoting stability and curbing terrorism in Egypt. Aided by an institutionalized lack of accountability in the country’s security forces Sisi has been enforcing human rights-defying measures without any formidable pushback domestically or by the international community. Guaranteeing that he has been allowed to continue his brutal crackdown without repudiation.
The Role of the International Community
The international community has been largely complacent in the perpetuation of abuses committed by the Sisi government on political dissidents and human rights groups. According to Human Rights Watch, European governments are continually giving aid to Egypt while supporting Sisi’s regime financially and politically. Sisi in his part has been able to play off the inner-politics of the European Union and has maintained a status quo in Egyptian-European relations that ensures that most European powers are silent on the matter of human rights violations perpetuated by security forces in Egypt.
In the United States, the outgoing Trump Administration has made an ally out of Sisi. President Trump has even called Sisi his “favorite dictator”. Although, it remains to be seen what a Biden presidency will do about Egypt. Predictions have been made that Biden will be tougher on Sisi’s Egypt, as well as on other authoritarian regimes. This remains to be seen, however. Of course, one should not pin their hopes on any country in particular to end the current human rights-defying regime in Egypt. It seems like the most feasible way to curb the human rights abuses currently being committed in the country is to continue to support local human rights organizations as well as the campaign to have members of the international community scrutinize the Sisi regime and the perpetuation of political repression more publicly.
Lack of Accountability in Egyptian Security Forces
Political dissidents have remained a target for the current Egyptian government, who since Sisi’s rise to power in 2013, have come under increasing pressure and aggression from Egyptian authority. Security forces in the country have been allowed to work with impunity and a lack of accountability on their part has ensured that whatever human rights abuses committed by Egyptian authority have been thoroughly pushed aside and trivialized. A nationwide state of emergency has allowed the country’s security forces to go unchecked in their aggression, allowing for the use of torture not to mention mass trials and the proliferation of death sentencing. This institutionalized lack of accountability has allowed security forces to ruthlessly clamp down on whomever they see as threatening the current status quo of Sisi’s regime. Within prisons, human rights are continually being threatened, exemplified by the bleak conditions of late President Mohamed Morsi who died in court after years of confinement and lack of access to medical care.
It is this lack of accountability that has allowed Sisi to continue to crack down on human rights groups and on political dissidents. This is in addition to his perpetuation of violence against women, the LGBTQ community, and other various human rights violations not explicitly conducted for the purpose of repressing political opposition. Lack of accountability is salient even in the international community, where most countries remain silent about Sisi’s authoritarian behavior. Crackdowns on Egypt’s activist population should not be underestimated. Sisi’s ability to repress political dissent unchecked sets a dangerous precedent for increasing totalitarian behavior and if human rights organizations themselves are being targeted, the scope of the human rights situation in Egypt may become repressed.
