FJP Statement On Egypt’s United Nations Universal Periodic Review

FJP Statement On Egypt’s United Nations Universal Periodic Review

PRESS STATEMENT


Date: 31 October 2014


On 5 November 2014, Egypt is to have its human rights record considered by the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the four years since Egypt’s last Universal Periodic Review, the state has undergone great changes. The UN UPR has a historic opportunity to hold the Egyptian military regime to account for the crimes committed since the coup.


The Egyptian military regime submission to the UN UPR is silent on this repressive and violent conduct, The Freedom and Justice Party and the Muslim Brotherhood have prepared and widely distributed an alternative submission to expose the atrocious reality of the military dictatorship ruling Egypt.  This submission provides a detailed review of the human rights record of Egypt under President Morsi and appraises the record of the military regime. The report looks at the military regime’s violent and ongoing repression of dissent, including scrutiny of the crimes in Rabaa Al-Adawiya in August 2013 as well as consideration of the continuing systematic and widespread violations.


The Freedom and Justice Party and the Muslim Brotherhood will be meeting with governments and NGOs in Geneva to discuss the report. The organisations have also called a press conference to respond to the regime’s UN UPR submission and provide an update of the situation in Egypt, including an analysis of the human rights record from the perspective of the victims and their lawyers.


Location: The Geneva Press Club, Route de Ferney 106, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland


Date and Time: Wed 5th November 2014, 14:00 (Geneva local time)


Speakers:


 ·       Rodney Dixon QC– Legal counsel for Muslim Brotherhood


·       Toby Cadman – Barrister


·       Dr Amr Darrag –Member of the Executive Board of the FJP and Former Minister of Planning and International Cooperation


·       Dr Maha Azzam – Egyptian Revolutionary Council
 

Background:


In 2011, Egypt witnessed a popular protest led revolution which toppled Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship, resulting in the first democratically elected leader in Egypt’s history. However, in July 2013, the Egyptian military – headed by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – led a violent military coup that removed President Morsi from office and led to unprecedented repression and human rights violations.