Brussels, 23/11/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Saturday 21 November, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service denounced the arrest of several members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) in Cairo, Egypt. “These developments are of significant concern, which the EU has conveyed to the Egyptian authorities”, he said in a statement. The EIPR is to be investigated for violations of national laws. According to the spokesperson, the EIPR, which provides “a critical and invaluable service to the Egyptian people by promoting political, civil, economic and social rights, with a focus on personal rights and freedoms is a “well-respected interlocutor that has put particular emphasis on the importance of acting in full transparency”. Providing space to civil society is a joint commitment enshrined in the EU–Egypt Partnership Priorities and is stipulated in the Egyptian Constitution, he emphasised. (CG)