European Parliament (EU parliament) voted on a draft resolution criticising the “human rights conditions” in Egypt on Friday. In response, the Egyptian Parliament denounced the decision saying it “included many fallacies contrary to reality.”
The EU parliament statement stressed the need to negotiate the priorities of the new partnership between Egypt and the EU by setting clear criteria that lead to more cooperation to achieve progress in reforming democratic institutions.
In its statement, the Egyptian Parliament called on its European counterpart “not to appoint itself as the custodian of Egypt, and to refrain from politicising human rights issues to serve political or electoral purposes.”
The EU parliament’s decision “also raises questions about the integrity and objectivity of the European Parliament, and let us stress that Egypt’s parliament rejects any interference in the internal affairs of Egypt.”
Furthermore, the Egyptian parliament expressed dissatisfaction with the EU parliament “encroachment” into Egyptian judicial procedures. “Separation of powers and judicial independence are the core of the rule of law,” the statement added.
The statement called on the European Parliament to consider the Egyptian efforts to preserve security and stability, not only domestically, but also regionally.
“During turbulent and complex regional conditions, Egyptian efforts to combat terrorism and illegal immigration did not falter. Along with the state’s efforts to improve the livelihood of the Egyptians through economic development, which continued even amidst the coronavirus pandemic,” the statement concluded.
The EU parliament statement called on the Egyptian authorities to adopt a comprehensive law on violence against women and a national strategy to enforce the approved laws against sexual violence; urged the authorities to use available UN guidance, such as the UN Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women, to set out components on combating violence against women, including protection of survivors and witnesses through trained officers and providers.
