U.S. cites abuses, holds up Egyptian aid

WASHINGTON — Citing human rights concerns, the United States will not give Egypt $130 million in annual security assistance, officials said Friday, even as the Biden administration continues to approve billions of dollars in military sales to the Middle Eastern ally.

The financial aid was temporarily frozen in the fall as the State Department demanded that Egypt do more to protect the rights of political critics, journalists, women and members of civil society.

It was the first time that a secretary of state did not issue a formal national security waiver to provide the aid. The move was aimed at pressuring officials in Cairo to release political prisoners and stop persecuting critics.

Since then, Egypt has failed to convince the Biden administration that steps the country has taken were enough to protect human rights — and, in turn, preserve the funding.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone Thursday with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry of Egypt, but the State Department had not made a final decision on whether to withhold the assistance as of Friday afternoon, said Jalina Porter, a department spokesperson.

The Egyptian government had not officially responded.

Murphy said the Biden administration had outlined a “list of narrow and wholly achievable human rights conditions” for Egypt to meet to receive the financial assistance before a Monday deadline. Other officials said the precise requirements were classified but included the overturning of guidelines that had allowed for the unjust detention and harassment of Egyptian and foreign human rights activists.

An annual State Department report on Egypt’s human rights record, released in March, cited numerous examples of abuse by government security forces, including extrajudicial killings, abductions and torture. It also found that free and political speech was inhibited, including by restricting the news media, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people were targeted with violence.

The blocked funding is just a fraction of an estimated $1.3 billion in aid the United States generally gives Egypt each year.

But Egypt has continued to buy billions of dollars worth of military airplanes, ships and other equipment — including $2.5 billion in C-130 transport planes and radar that was announced this week.

The State Department officials described military sales as unrelated to the financial assistance that the U.S. provides Egypt annually. They also said the military equipment most recently sold to Cairo would further the United States’ security interests.