UK ‘concern’ over arrests of Egypt human rights activists

THE UK is “deeply concerned” about the arrests of three members of a prominent Egyptian human rights group that recently hosted Western diplomats in Cairo, a Foreign Office spokesman said.

Egyptian authorities yesterday arrested the executive director of the group, the third member taken into custody in less than a week, the organisation said. “Security forces arrest Gasser Abdel-razek, executive director of EIPR, from his home in Maadi [south of Cairo] and take him to an unknown location,” the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said. Karim Ennarah, director of criminal justice at EIPR was arrested on Wednesday, three days after admin manager Mohamed Basheer.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, has raised their case with Sameh Shoukry, his Egyptian counterpart, the Foreign Office said. “Human rights defenders should be able to work without fear of arrest or reprisals, wherever they are,” a spokesman said.

EIPR said its staff were targeted by Egyptian authorities because the group held a meeting on Nov 3 to discuss human rights in Egypt with 13 Western ambassadors and diplomats, including Neerav Patel, UK deputy ambassador.

Yesterday, Mr Ennarah appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo. He was ordered into pretrial detention for 15 days in the

‘Human rights defenders should be able to work without fear of arrests or reprisals wherever they are’

same pending case as Mr Basheer, who is suspected of “terrorism” and “spreading false news”.

Amnesty International called the arrests a “chilling escalation of the Egyptian authorities’ crackdown on civil society”.

Abdel Fattah el-sisi, Egypt’s former army chief-turned president, has systematically repressed opposition since assuming power in a 2013 military coup.