06/10/23 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 5 October, MEPs called for the immediate and unconditional release of Egyptian political opponent Hisham Kassem, who was sentenced in September to six months in prison and a fine for defamation and slander for an online message criticising former minister Abu Eita. The Egyptian authorities must drop all politically motivated charges against him, they stressed in the joint resolution they adopted (379 votes in favour, 30 against and 31 abstentions). Ahead of the presidential election in December 2023, the European Parliament stressed the importance of holding credible, free and fair elections. More broadly, it calls on the Egyptian authorities to respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, the press, media and associations, and an independent judiciary. (CG)