On 22 December 2017, the Paris Prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the sale of surveillance equipment by a French company to Egypt following a request by FIDH with the support of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). This could lead to charges being brought for complicity to torture and enforced disappearances. The EP resolution recalls and condemns the fact that companies based in several Member States continue to export surveillance and military equipment to Egypt. It calls on the EU and its Member States to take a clear, strong and unified position on Egypt in the upcoming sessions of the UN Human Rights Council for as long as the country fails to show meaningful improvements in its human rights record.
Egypt: European Parliament condemns executions
The European Parliament (EP) resolution of 8 February 2018 calls to halt imminent executions and for an immediate moratorium prior to the abolition of the death penalty. It particularly highlights the fact that executions cannot be a means to combat terrorism, urging the EU to ensure human rights are not undermined by counter-terrorism actions under the EU-Egypt Partnership Priorities.