EU-Egypt counter-terrorism forum offers ‘affront’ to rights: watchdog – EURACTIV.com
An international rights watchdog on Tuesday (January 25th) urged the European Union not to launch a joint proposal with Egypt to lead a global counterterrorism body, lamenting the North African nation’s treatment of criticism. .
On Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced its intention to run on a joint ticket with the EU to lead the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), an organization described by HRW as “a multilateral platform with considerable influence on global counter-terrorism policy”.
Citing a leaked ‘Council of the EU’-branded document that described a proposed joint bid, HRW urged the EU to ‘seriously reconsider’, due to the ‘odious repertoire of the Egypt on human rights violations in the name of counter-terrorism”.
He said in a statement that Egypt had become “a human rights black hole” since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2013.
HRW cited Egyptian authorities’ targeting of civil society groups, journalists, rights defenders, politicians and lawyers, among others, in recent years.
Rights groups say Egypt holds some 60,000 political prisoners, many of whom face brutal conditions and overcrowded cells.
“Rather than shamefully consider a joint offer with Egypt ignoring its miserable rights record, the EU should start taking meaningful steps to address it,” HRW said.
The GCTF includes 30 member countries and cooperates closely with the United Nations to fight terrorism.
It seeks “to decrease the recruitment of terrorists and increase the civilian capacities of countries to deal with terrorist threats”, according to its website.
Egypt has been carrying out a nationwide operation against Islamist militants since February 2018, mainly focused on North Sinai and the country’s Western Desert.
More than 1,000 suspected militants and dozens of security personnel have been killed in the Sinai, according to official figures.
No independent death toll is available as North Sinai is off-limits to journalists.
The North African country has been selected to host the next climate summit – COP27 – due to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh later this year.
HRW claimed in November that the move “rewards the repressive regime of” Sisi.
