On Wednesday 30 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) reiterated the importance of freedom of expression in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi due to be invested on Saturday 2 June.
"In a moment when Egypt is seeking to consolidate democracy and the rule of law, the respect for peaceful expression of opinion and of criticism is important. Those standing for fundamental rights and democracy should not be fearing reprisals", the EEAS spokesperson stated.
Over recent weeks there has been a growing number of arrests of human rights defenders, political activists and bloggers. In May alone, blogger and journalist Waël Abbas, protesters Amal Fathy and Shady G. Harb, and satirical cartoonist Shady Abu Zeid have been arrested, and journalist Ismaïl Alexandrani has been sentenced to ten years in prison. According to the 2018 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders, Egypt is ranked 161st out of 180 countries.
"We expect the Egyptian authorities to respect Egypt's Constitution and international obligations", the EEAS spokesperson said in a press release, reiterating that the country's sustainable stability and security went hand in hand "with the full respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms", in line with Egypt's Constitution. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)