EU parliament urges Egypt to lift human rights constraints

CAIRO – The EU’s lawmaking body has condemned Egyptian authorities for human rights abuses and is urging them to lift restrictions on free speech and assembly, halt mass trials and stop sentencing minors to death, and release political prisoners.

In a resolution passed by a vote on Thursday, the European Parliament says Cairo enforces continuous restrictions on fundamental democratic rights. It implored authorities to also “drop all existing baseless criminal investigations into the work of non-governmental organizations.”

The resolution urged the release of several detained human rights advocates by name , saying that “the long-term prosperity of Egypt and its people goes hand in hand with the protection of universal human rights.”

The European Union has occasionally condemned Egypt vocally under general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s rule, although it rarely impacts trade or weapons sales.