How to Protect Civil Society and Promote Stability in Egypt

Transcription

1 How to Protect Civil Society ad Promote Stability i Egypt August 2017

2 ON HUMAN RIGHTS, the Uited States must be a beaco. Activists fightig for freedom aroud the globe cotiue to look to us for ispiratio ad cout o us for support. Upholdig huma rights is ot oly a moral obligatio; it s a vital atioal iterest. America is strogest whe our policies ad actios match our values. Huma Rights First is a idepedet advocacy ad actio orgaizatio that challeges America to live up to its ideals. We believe America leadership is essetial i the struggle for huma rights so we press the U.S. govermet ad private compaies to respect huma rights ad the rule of law. Whe they do t, we step i to demad reform, accoutability, ad justice. Aroud the world, we work where we ca best haress America ifluece to secure core freedoms. We kow that it is ot eough to expose ad protest ijustice, so we create the political eviromet ad policy solutios ecessary to esure cosistet respect for huma rights. Whether we are protectig refugees, combatig torture, or defedig persecuted miorities, we focus ot o makig a poit, but o makig a differece. For over 30 years, we ve built bipartisa coalitios ad teamed up with frotlie activists ad lawyers to tackle issues that demad America leadership. Huma Rights First is a oprofit, opartisa iteratioal huma rights orgaizatio based i New York ad Washigto D.C. To maitai our idepedece, we accept o govermet fudig Huma Rights First All Rights Reserved. This report is available olie at humarightsfirst.org

3 1 Itroductio Citig a steadily worseig huma rights situatio, activists ad foreig diplomats i Cairo urge the U.S. govermet to withhold military aid from the Egyptia govermet. They say this would sed a importat sigal to the govermet of Presidet Sisi, put a brake o its repressio of civil society, ad help create vital space for peaceful disset. I April 2017, Presidet Trump grated Presidet Sisi the White House visit he had bee deied uder the Obama Admiistratio. But apart from releasig from priso Egyptia-America huma rights defeder Aya Hijazi, her husbad, ad four co-workers, Presidet Sisi has made o improvemets i the huma rights climate sice the meetig. With a moutig ecoomic crisis ad the worst govermet repressio i decades, activists say Egypt is headed for severe istability. I the years after 2011, there was some orgaizatio to the protests ad disset, said Mia Thabet of the Egyptia Commissio for Rights ad Freedoms (ECRF). Now the social movemet leaders are i jail or sileced or exiled. Now there s o-oe to cotrol ad stabilize thigs. We had orgaized ager for five or six years. Next time we'll have disorgaized ager. 1 Uder the Cosolidated Appropriatios Act of 2016, Secretary of State Rex Tillerso must decide by September 30 th whether to release the 15 percet of U.S. Foreig Military Fudig (FMF) aid Cogress made cotiget o huma rights reform. Prior to releasig these fuds, Secretary Tillerso must certify that the govermet is takig effective steps to protect freedoms of expressio, associatio, ad peaceful assembly, icludig the ability of civil society orgaizatios ad the media to fuctio without iterferece." 2 Presidet Sisi s govermet is clearly failig o all of these frots. Secretary Tillerso should say so publicly ad withhold FMF pedig adequate reform. The fuds should be reallocated to support democratic reform ad huma rights elsewhere i the regio. If Secretary Tillerso ivokes the law s atioal security waiver which allows him to release the fuds o atioal security grouds without certifyig progress o huma rights or certifies progress ad releases the fuds, Cogress should object i the strogest terms. Although America pressure caot trasform Egypt overight ad Sisi has o magic wad to halt terrorist attacks or sectaria violece there are importat steps the Egyptia leader could take i the ear term. These iclude liftig travel bas o huma rights defeders, releasig political prisoers, haltig executios, droppig charges agaist activists accused i the otorious foreig fudig cases which iclude several America citize defedats ad shelvig the ew repressive NGO law, which violates Egypt s obligatios uder iteratioal law. These steps would ease polarizatio ad icrease stability, while removig uecessary sources of tesio i the bilateral relatioship betwee Egypt ad the Uited States. Huma Rights First s fact-fidig trip to Cairo i July 2017 was a rare occurrece because the govermet of Egypt has blocked iteratioal huma rights orgaizatios from sedig researchers to the coutry sice 2014.This report draws o iterviews with dozes of Egyptia huma rights defeders, civil society activists, foreig diplomats, ad others. It is the latest i a series of Huma Rights First reports o Egypt sice the fall of the Mubarak regime i February Backgroud Presidet Sisi seized power i a popular coup i July 2013, oustig Presidet Mohamed Morsi,

4 2 who had bee elected the year before as the cadidate of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Freedom ad Justice Party. I August 2013, security forces killed more tha 800 people whe they attacked ad cleared two pro-morsi protest camps i Cairo i a icidet kow as the Rabb a Massacre. Soo after, the Sisi govermet baed the Muslim Brotherhood ad jailed its leaders. All told, it has jailed ad itimidated tes of thousads of people icludig liberal secular activists because of their political views. Recetly released activists told Huma Rights First that prisos are hotbeds of radicalizatio, with extremist groups fidig easy prey amog abused detaiees. Terrorist attacks, icludig those agaist Coptic Christia commuities, have icreased sice Sisi came to power. Sisi s govermet has also passed a series of ew laws desiged to prevet huma rights work, icludig a otorious ew law restrictig the work of NGOs. The law was passed by parliamet i November 2016 ad ratified by Sisi i May Meawhile Sisi has failed to get a grip o the coutry s ecoomic crisis. Testifyig before the U.S. Seate Appropriatios Subcommittee o State, Foreig Operatios, ad Related Programs i April 2017, Michele Due of the Caregie Edowmet for Iteratioal Peace said: I the first few moths of 2017, the misery idex the rate of aual iflatio plus uemploymet for Egyptias has bee about 45 percet. Core iflatio i recet moths has bee betwee 30 ad 33 percet; food prices are risig at a aual rate of 39 percet Uemploymet accordig to official statistics is about 12.6 percet; may experts believe this uderestimates the true uemploymet rate, which for youg people is estimated at a average 30 percet ad for youg wome early 50 percet. 4 The govermet s failure to stop the coutry s ecoomic slide has resulted i public protests, while gasolie subsidies lifted i July have resulted i higher food prices. The killig of two Germa holidaymakers i July at the seaside resort of Hurghada was the latest blow to the coutry s tourism idustry. Accordig to official figures, 15 millio tourists visited Egypt i Last year, the figure was 5.3 millio. 5 While Presidet Sisi is fod of presetig Egypt as a bastio of stability i a troubled regio, i reality the coutry is at best limpig alog ad is likely headed for urest withi a few years, said Due. 6 Oce agai, the Uited States fids itself backig a dictatorship i Cairo. Successive admiistratios have let virtually ucoditioal support i the form, primarily, of $1.3 billio i aual military aid to the cetral power i Egypt, whether Mubarak, the Supreme Coucil of the Armed Forces, the Muslim Brotherhood, or Sisi s militarybacked regime. This U.S. policy strategy aims to secure military-to-military cooperatio o couterterrorism, stability i the Suez Caal zoe, cotiued adherece to the Camp David Accords, ad support for the U.S. maufacturig base that supplies Egypt with military hardware. Yet these core iterests will be put at risk if istability caused i large measure by govermet repressio cotiues to worse. A ew complicatio is the divide amog U.S. allies i the Gulf. Egypt has sided with Bahrai, Saudi Arabia, ad the Uited Arab Emirates (UAE) i the dispute with Qatar, which is backed by Turkey. The Uited States has thousads of military persoel i Qatar, Bahrai, ad the UAE. As the tesio persists, the more complicated the Trump admiistratio s relatioship with the Egyptia govermet becomes. 7

5 3 Amid these overlappig crises, Tillerso must decide whether to release the feced 15 percet of FMF $195 millio of the $1.3 billio aual package by September 30, The law gives Tillerso the authority to ivoke a atioal security waiver, eablig him to release the fuds without certifyig progress o huma rights. While this approach would be more hoest tha certifyig progress, its result would be idetical. Tillerso will have a similar decisio to make at the same time ext year, as the FY2017 appropriatios law also coditios 15 percet of FMF o huma rights reform. There is also aroud $400m i o-military aid that goes to Egypt, but the ew law o NGOs receivig moey makes that very difficult to dispese because of the heavy restrictios placed o Egyptia NGOs, icludig those ivolved i developmet ad humaitaria assistace, receivig foreig fudig. 8 Members of Cogress are still workig o their approach to coditioig fuds i the FY 2018 appropriatios law. Egyptia activists say Cogress should lik military aid to reform more firmly by scrappig the atioal security waiver. The waiver makes a joke of the coditios, oe rights activist told Huma Rights First. Tie the aid to reform or do t, but do't have a special card that lets you escape the decisio. 9 Egypt s presidetial electio ext year, say some activists, is aother opportuity to push for reform. They say the Uited States ad other major powers should press for free ad fair electios, ad isist that the govermet allow idepedet iteratioal moitors ito the coutry. The New NGO Law ad Other Attacks o Activists Activists say the coutry s ew NGO law will crimialize their work ad make it virtually impossible for their orgaizatios to fuctio. This is somethig which is i Sisi s hads to carry out or to stop, said Mohamed Lotfy, executive director of ECRF. Other problems like the Siai coflict are loger term, but this he ca put a ed to ow, ad the America govermet should ecourage him to do that. 10 The ew NGO law Law 70 of 2017 for Regulatig the Work of Associatios ad Other Istitutios Workig i the Field of Civil Work prohibits NGOs from coductig activities that harm atioal security, public order, public morality, or public health. Such vague, catch-all terms mea that the law will be used to curtail legitimate activity, say local NGO staff. Law 70 also creates a Natioal Authority for the Regulatio of Foreig No-govermetal Orgaizatios to oversee the work of NGOs. This etity icludes represetatives of Egypt s top atioal security bodies the Geeral Itelligece Directorate ad the Miistries of Defese ad Iterior as well as represetatives from the Foreig Affairs Miistry ad the Cetral Bak of Egypt. This body places NGOs uder govermet cotrol, strippig them of the idepedece from govermet that should defie o-govermetal orgaizatios. The law strictly cotrols the fudig of NGOs, explaied a umber of groups i a statemet reactig to the ew legislatio. It states that associatios must obtai permissio from the authority 30 days i advace to receive doatios from Egyptia etities or idividuals iside Egypt. Additioally, the law gives the govermet the authority to moitor ad challege NGOs day-today activities, from choices i leadership to the schedule of iteral meetigs. 11 The ew law puishes violatios with seteces of oe to five years i priso ad heavy fies. Aalysis of the law by eight local ad iteratioal NGOs idicates that prohibited activities that could result i priso seteces iclude:

6 4 assistig or workig with a foreig NGO that is coductig work i Egypt without a licese; establishig or maagig ay etity that does NGO work without followig the provisios of this law; sedig or receivig foreig fuds as a presidet or member of a NGO i violatio of the law s provisios. It should ot be a crime to advocate for huma rights ad developmet i Egypt, but this law does just that, cripplig civil society for years to come, say the NGOs. 12 The ew NGO law is the latest i a series of measures that target disset. Sisi s govermet has for years used arbitrary detetio, mass trials, travel bas, torture i custody, eforced disappearaces, ad illegal killigs to attack dissidets. Beyod the NGO law, the Egyptia state uses several forms of legislatio to target civil society. I a case kow as Case 173, sice December 2016, ivestigative judges i the case have summoed, charged, ad released o bail promiet Egyptia huma rights defeders, icludig: Mohamed Zaree, Cairo director of the Cairo Istitute for Huma Rights Studies (CIHRS), ad a fialist for the 2017 Marti Eals Award for Huma Rights Defeders; Ahmed Ragheb, a lawyer ad director of the Natioal Commuity for Huma Rights ad Law; Mostafa al-hassa, former director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Ceter; ad wome s rights defeder Azza Solima, fouder of the Ceter for Egyptia Wome s Legal Assistace. Moz Hassa, fouder ad executive director of Nazra for Femiist Studies, wier of the 2016 Right to Livelihood Award, is also beig ivestigated. The authorities have baed her from travel ad froze both her persoal assets ad those of her NGO. 13 Hudreds of other activists, jouralists, ad huma rights defeders have bee detaied or harassed for simply exercisig their rights to freedom of expressio ad associatio. Egyptia huma rights defeders based outside the coutry have also bee itimidated. At a huma rights workshop i Italy i May 2017, Egyptia activists were followed ad their pictures take by me who harassed them. 14 Local activists estimate that 140 websites ad virtual private etworks (which eable greater security for activists) are ow blocked. Several activists Huma Rights First met with i Cairo said that they are makig plas for their arrest, assumig they will be set to priso i the comig moths. Priso Radicalizatio The icrease i terrorism ad growig repressio are related. There are o official, public statistics o the umber of prisoers held i Egypt, but local activists put the figure at roughly 60,000. Activists have log wared that oe dagerous cosequece of Sisi s repressive measures is the radicalizatio of prisoers by ISIS operatives. Promiet dissidet Ahmed Maher wared that: Priso has really become a breedig groud for extremists. It has become a school for crime ad terrorism, sice there are hudreds of youg me piled o top of each other i arrow cofies, jihadists ext to Muslim Brotherhood members ext to revolutioaries ext to sympathizers. Everyoe is accused of beig either a terrorist or a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is turig the people arrested by mistake who do t belog to ay movemet ito jihadists. Moreover, Muslim Brotherhood members are gradually becomig radicalized, sice they suffer from ihumae treatmet i

7 5 the prisos ISIS has exploited the situatio. 15 Aother activist recetly released from jail said he met may youg prisoers who were easy prey for ISIS. The older guys are sort of immue to what ISIS says, but for the youger oes it s a powerful appeal. The ISIS guys tell them You tried politics, electios, ad it did t work, ad may of the youger guys are susceptible, he said. 16 Expadig, this activist oted: Oe guy who was there, I was scared of him. He said he joied ISIS after the Rabb a massacre. He used to talk to guys who were t members of the Muslim Brotherhood but who supported them. They were desperate for chage, ad he exploited that, tellig them they eeded to defed themselves. They had believed they could chage thigs through the ballot box, but the ISIS guy was persuasive - he would say whe you have a electio it s my argumets agaist your argumets, but oce a gu eters the equatio you eed your ow gu to fight back. I saw may people attracted by this logic. The activist also said that he saw a differet appeal for ISIS from prisoers who origiated from Siai, where the govermet has log bee accused of huma rights violatios agaist the local populatio. For the guys who origiate from Siai, it s less about ideology, he said. They support ISIS because ISIS gives them a chace to fight for their lad, to humiliate the army. ISIS trais them i how to use gus ad ISIS provides a coveiet way for them to fight back, but it s ot that they really buy ito the ISIS ideology. He added: Oe youg guy was i ISIS, he was 18 but looked 14, barely had a beard. He was t ideological, he could t hold a discussio about beliefs - he was from Siai ad he said, the army humiliated us so we will humiliate the army. This is the appeal. The activist said he saw how ISIS recruited prisoers: It was t just Islamists or ISIS people or political prisoers there i jail, there were just people who had bee picked up at road blocks with somethig ati-sisi o their Facebook, or o their phoe. May had bee tortured i priso, give electric shocks i their mouth or o their geitals. Or bezie put o their ski ad set alight with the electric shock bato. After prisoers had bee tortured they were more ope to hearig from ISIS. Others agree that priso radicalizatio is a major problem, a time bomb that threates to cause chaos. The radicalizatio i jails meas a whole ew geeratio of terrorists beig fed with a ideology ad hate agaist Christias, says Thabet of ECRF. 17 Attacks o Religious Miorities I the weeks followig the coup, agered by Coptic support for Presidet Sisi, 18 pro-morsi mobs attacked hudreds of Christia properties ad churches. The Egyptia presidet s rhetoric o the issue of religious miorities has bee better tha his predecessors. He publicly codems some sectaria attacks, ad for the last few years has atteded a Coptic Christmas Mass. Aother logstadig problem for Copts is the issue of church costructio. For geeratios, it has bee difficult to get legal permissio to build or reovate a church i Egypt. Last year,

8 6 Presidet Sisi ratified a log-awaited law to regulate authorizatio for ew churches. It was welcomed by Pope Tawadros II, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who said it would correct a wrog that lasted 160 years. 19 But NGOs say that istead of protectig the rights of miorities, this law codifies discrimiatio agaist them, icludig by allowig goverors to dey permits without appeal. The law gives the executive authority broad discretio to violate the right to build ad repair churches. It gives the security apparatus a say i the gratig of permits ad allows it to moitor activities ad ay modificatios to religious buildigs, said Ishak Ibrahim of the NGO the Egyptia Iitiative o Persoal Rights. 20 Others criticize the ew committee set up to adjudicate the legality of proposed ad existig churches. Eight of the ie members are from the govermet, icludig the military ad itelligece services. Oe spot is for a church represetative. We do t eve kow if they ve met yet, oe activist told Huma Rights First. 21 The Uited States Relatioship with Presidet Sisi As the regioal crisis cetered o Qatar ufolds, the U.S. relatioship with the Egyptia govermet is fallig uder icreasig scrutiy. Secretary Tillerso embarked o a roud of shuttle diplomacy i the regio i mid-july. You kow all four of these [Gulf] coutries are really importat to the U.S., said the Secretary of State. It s the reaso I came over to take a direct iterest i it, because we eed this part of the world to be stable ad this particular coflict betwee these parties is obviously ot helpful. 22 The dispute ceters o allegatios by Bahrai, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, ad the UAE that Qatar is fiacig terrorism i the regio. The Qatari govermet deies these accusatios. The four coutries, fearful of growig Muslim Brotherhood ifluece, imposed sactios o Qatar o Jue 5. They subsequetly issued a list of 13 coditios for removig sactios. These iclude curbig Qatar's relatios with Ira, closig the Dohabased Al Jazeera TV chael, ad shutterig a Turkish military base i Qatar. 23 The spat further complicates the U.S relatioship with Egypt, which had badly frayed durig the Obama Admiistratio. The moth after Presidet Sisi seized power i 2013, Presidet Obama caceled joit U.S.-Egypt military exercises, kow as Operatio Bright Star, which were due to take place later that year ad had bee held regularly sice Speakig i Washigto, D.C. last summer before he joied the govermet, ow-secretary of Defese James Mattis idicated his support for resumig Bright Star exercises: we re cocered about ay political system has to have a couterweight [sic], ad whether or ot there is a sufficiet allowace for legitimate political disset. But that said, right ow the oly way to support Egypt s maturatio as a coutry with civil society, with democracy, is to support Presidet el-sisi. We should have Bright Star reistituted, perhaps ot with tak battles but with couterterrorism-type traiig. 25 Secretary Mattis is right to be cocered about the arrowig space for disset, ad right that the Uited States should use its military relatioship to push for reform. The Uited States is Egypt s most valued security parter, ad resumig joit military exercises would sed a clear message of support that the Egyptias grew to doubt uder the previous admiistratio. A Europea diplomat based i Cairo said, The U.S. has power that the Europea Uio does t have. Sisi maages to split the EU coutries, so

9 7 that Hugary ad Greece wo t joi i a cosesus EU positio to criticize Egypt. But the U.S. has real power. 26 I March 2015, the Obama Admiistratio eded cash flow fiacig (CFF) for Egypt s FMF-fuded purchases, startig i FY 2018 (which begis October 1, 2017). As Christia Bischoff of the Project o Middle East Democracy explais: CFF allows a foreig govermet to pay for U.S. defese equipmet i istallmets over several years rather tha up frot. CFF has eabled Egypt to eter ito cotracts with multi-year paymet structures that well exceed the amout of FMF that it receives from the Uited States each year. The outstadig balace of the cotracts is iteded to be paid with the (assumed) provisio of future years appropriatios of FMF, a arragemet that effectively obligates the U.S. govermet to cotiue providig FMF at the same level or higher i perpetuity 27 While the Trump Admiistratio should ot reitroduce CFF, it should make clear that it is prepared to improve relatios with Cairo, ad that it views Egypt as a valued parter. At the same time, it should uderlie the reality that a bilateral partership ca oly flourish to the beefit of both parties if Sisi chages course o huma rights. Such a chage is ecessary to restore stability ad sustaiable social peace i Egypt, ad to esure that the coutry is a effective parter i the global struggle agaist terrorism. Barrig such a uderstadig, the Trump admiistratio is at risk of beig held hostage by a authoritaria leader who believes that his coutry is too big to fail, ad that the Uited States will support him ucoditioally because of the absece of viable alteratives. Blackmail is a poor basis for a mutually supportive relatioship betwee allies. The Trump Admiistratio, at the highest levels, should speak clearly ad cosistetly to Egypt s leaders about the cocrete reforms it expects. These should iclude a ed to the sustaied attack o idepedet huma rights orgaizatios, progress combatig egraied istitutioal discrimiatio agaist religious miorities, a ed to eforced disappearaces ad torture, the release of prisoers detaied after ufair trials for oviolet political offeses, ad the liftig of restrictios o freedom of expressio. Presidet Sisi is up for electio i 2018 (slated for April with o precise date yet set), ad wats public support from the Uited States. He wo a virtually ucotested, highly flawed electio i May 2014 with 96 percet of the vote, but turout was reportedly oly 38 percet. 28 His visit to the White House earlier this year helped boost his credibility iterally. A aoucemet that the Uited States is ow withholdig aid because of his repressio would be deeply embarrassig. O May 23, Egyptia authorities summoed promiet oppositio leader ad rights lawyer Khaled Ali. They charged him with offedig public dececy over a gesture he allegedly made while celebratig a court victory i Jauary. Ali s case is widely see as a attempt to itimidate ad disqualify potetial political oppoets from participatig i the 2018 presidetial electios. The 15 Percet Cogressioal pressure is moutig, with committees havig held four hearigs i Jue o aid to Egypt. O Jue 19, a bipartisa group of te seators wrote to Presidet Trump sayig that they were gravely cocered by the worseig situatio for huma rights ad civil society i

10 8 Egypt, icludig the ew law restrictig ogovermetal orgaizatios (NGOs), siged ito law by Presidet Sisi i May. 29 Separately, Seators Joh McCai (R-AZ) ad Lydsey Graham (R-SC) publicly wared Sisi that with this [NGO] law i place, Cogress should stregthe democratic bechmarks ad huma rights coditios o U.S. assistace for Egypt. 30 Huma rights activists i Cairo told Huma Rights First that withholdig the 15 percet of FMF is a crucial sigal to sed to Presidet Sisi. The Uited States must try everythig, they say, to stop the itesifyig attacks o what remais of Egyptia civil society. Oe told our researcher, This 15 percet is a major deal. It s a chace for Washigto to show it does t approve of Sisi s attacks o huma rights, that it s serious about pushig for reform. The U.S. has leverage, ad it should use it. 31 Cogress is still cosiderig the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriatios bill. O July 12, the House of Represetatives Appropriatios Subcommittee o State, Foreig Operatios ad Related Programs released its draft bill, earmarkig the usual $1.3 billio for FMF. But i a chage, the bill would ot tie aid to huma rights reform. Istead, it would require the State Departmet to submit a report o huma rights ad goverace i Egypt every 90 days. 32 Rather tha weakeig U.S. leverage over Egypt by elimiatig feced fudig, Cogress should cosider icreasig the percetage tied to huma rights reform. I testimoy to the Seate Appropriatios Subcommittee o State, Foreig Operatios, ad Related Programs i April 2017, seior fellow for Middle Easter studies at the Coucil o Foreig Relatios Elliot Abrams suggested Cogress should look at icreasig the proportio from 15 percet to 25 percet. 33 By eve cosiderig such a icrease, Cogress would sed a strog message to the Egyptia authorities that its huma rights policies are uacceptable to the Uited States. Coclusio As log as the Egyptia govermet cotiues to suppress peaceful disset ad stifle pluralism, it is part of the problem of growig istability, ot part of the solutio. Repressio by the govermet ot oly violates the huma rights of Egyptias ad causes pervasive sufferig, it threates core iterests of the Uited States, icludig its battle agaist terrorism. For years, U.S. presidetial admiistratios have delivered military aid to the Egyptia govermet regardless of its actios. It s log past time for a ew approach, oe that uses U.S. leverage to compel its ally to back away from repressio ad advace toward a more stable ad sustaiable politics. As part of broad effort to press for reform, the Trump Admiistratio should withhold o huma rights grouds the 15 percet of FMF authorized by Cogress. Recommedatios The Trump Admiistratio should: Withhold the 15 percet of FMF fudig authorized by Cogress uder the FY2016 appropriatio act uless ad util the Egyptia govermet itroduces extesive huma rights reform. This should iclude the immediate halt of prosecutios ad droppig of charges agaist those i foreig fudig Case 173, a halt to implemetatio of the ew NGO law (with a view to its abolitio or

11 9 overhaul), ad a liftig of travel bas agaist huma rights activists. Cosistetly emphasize the importace of freedom of expressio, associatio, ad assembly i high-level bilateral discussios, as a itegral part of ay retur to credible, iclusive civilia democratic politics. Urge the elimiatio of discrimiatio agaist religious miorities, ad the amedmet of the ew law o church buildig. The admiistratio should also urge Egyptia authorities to ivestigate all icidets of violece agaist Christias ad other religious miorities, assaults o their property ad istitutios, ad to hold accoutable those resposible. Publicly call o the Egyptia govermet to stop attacks o NGOs ad activists, icludig through state media outlets; aouce a moratorium o NGO closures, raids, or prosecutios; repeal restrictive laws; ad immediately release all detaiees who are curretly detaied for the peaceful expressio of their views. Negotiate a durable arragemet with the Egyptia authorities to esure the logterm stability ad itegrity of U.S. assistace to idepedet huma rights ad democracy orgaizatios i Egypt. Promote iteret freedom by fudig huma rights defeders to develop tools ad traiigs o safe commuicatio techologies for huma rights advocacy; traiig govermet officials o best practices i protectig freedom of expressio olie, ad user privacy ad security issues; promotig legislative ad regulatory reform to esure more trasparet, represetative, ad rulebased regulatory authority for the ICT sector. Make clear that eforced disappearaces, arbitrary arrests, ad the mistreatmet of political prisoers jeopardize U.S.-Egypt relatios. The Uited States should take ito accout the state of the crimial justice system as a strog idicator of the coutry s commitmet to reform ad democracy. Support the access of iteratioal electio observers to Egypt for the coutry s 2018 presidetial electios, ad push for free ad fair electios. Members of Cogress should: Urge Secretary Tillerso to use his authority to withhold the 15 percet of feced FMF aid tied to huma rights progress, util such progress is achieved. Cosider icreasig the percetage of FMF fudig tied to huma rights coditios i FY2018 appropriatios legislatio, ad ot iclude a atioal security waiver that ca be used to override the withholdig of aid. Review the etire aid relatioship with Egypt to better address the security ad other eeds of Egypt ad to better serve America iterests, ad prohibit a reistatemet of cash-flow fiacig. Cotiue to issue public statemets makig clear to Presidet Sisi ad his govermet that Egypt is o a path that threates U.S. iterests. Visit Egypt, meet with civil society leaders to hear how they wat the U.S. govermet to support them.

12 10 Edotes 1 Iterview with Mia Thabet, Cairo, July For a breakdow of umbers of U.S. troops i the regio, see 8 For a detailed breakdow ad aalysis of U.S. aid to Egypt, see 9 Iterview with activist, Cairo, July Some activists are ot idetified for reasos of safety. 10 Iterview with Mohamed Lotfy, Cairo, July See See Elliot Abrams testimoy April 25, 2017 to Seate Committee o Appropriatios, Sub Committee o State, Foreig Operatios ad Related Programs; citig Maher I Traslatio: April 6 s Ahmed Maher o Egypt uder Sisi, Arabist, August 17, 2015, traslatio-april-6s-ahmed-maher-o-egypt-udersisi?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium= &utm_campaig=new%20campaig&utm_term=%252amideast%20brief. 16 Iterview with activist, Cairo, July 3, Activist ot amed for safety reasos. 17 Iterview with Thabet, Cairo, July 4, Iterview with activist, Cairo, July Iterview with Europea diplomat, Cairo, July All diplomats spoke to Huma Rights First o coditio of aoymity See ad 4ba5-af48-dddc7fe76674/72283F9825A70FDFF4385C91200CE letter-to-potus-re-egypt-go-law.pdf Iterview with activist, Cairo, July