Egypt's human rights ignored amid Israel-Hamas war

Until late 2023, Egypt's focus had been on its tremendous economic problems and fending off scrutiny of its dire human rights record, as well as criticism for its failure to implement democratic structures and political reforms. 

In particular, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has been widely seen as autocratic ruler who secured himself a third term in December's presidential election by cracking down on opposition candidates and silencing dissent. 

International human rights organization have meanwhile put the number of political prisoners in Egyptian prisons at more than 70,000.

"Cairo has successfully leveraged the Mideast crises that was set off by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, to advance its financial interests and geopolitical significance," Timothy E. Kaldas, deputy director of the Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, told DW.

Egypt gains new prominence in Middle East

Since the onset of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, US, Qatari and Egyptian diplomats have frequently met in Cairo to negotiate an elusive cease-fire in Gaza and a release of the remaining hostages.

"While Qatar seems to be playing a much more important role here, it still means that Egypt is at least perceived as an influential country again," said Christian Achrainer, a researcher at Denmark's Roskilde University, who has extensively published on Egypt.

Achrainer told DW Egypt's new prominence in the Middle East and North Africa had silenced external comment on human rights violations, emboldening el-Sissi to continue imprisoning people. 

While Egyptians are largely in favor of the Palestinians in Gaza, harsh criticism on Egypt's peace treaty with Israel, which was signed in 1979, or on the collaboration with Israel or the US remains throttled by Egypt's security apparatus.

"Criticism is by and large nonexistent these days," said Achrainer.

Can Egypt be a humanitarian partner?

Egypt's Rafah crossing in Gaza's south is the only land border that doesn't lead into Israel and has thus become the main entrance gate for humanitarian goods into Gaza.

"Egypt has earned additional support from Washington by cooperating with the Israelis on permission surrounding goods moving into Gaza," said Kaldas, adding that Egypt was being generously rewarded for its efforts.

The White House has granted Egypt the full $1.3 billion (€1.2 billion) in military assistance this year. "Whereas in the past, they would at least withhold the portion that was conditioned on human rights," said Kaldas.

Kaldas said US officials had prioritized Egypt's cooperation with Israel and the United States over the rights and freedoms of Egyptians.

"Secretary of State Antony Blinken just recently, baselessly and completely unconvincingly certified that Egypt is making progress on the file of political prisoners and rights and freedoms in Egypt, when in fact Egypt is actually doing significantly worse on this front," said Kaldas.

Observers agree that more people are being detained than released.

"President el-Sissi has taken advantage of the crisis created by Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon to position itself as an essential mediator in the conflict and really just to distract from Egypt's own disastrous human rights crisis and very deep state corruption," Sarah Whitson, executive director of the Washington-based human rights organization DAWN, told DW.

One of the country's most famous prisoners, the 42-year-old British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah remains in prison despite being sentenced to five years in late September 2019. 

A thin ray of hope for El-Fattah and thousands other imprisoned journalists, politicians and dissidents might be the upcoming UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. 

In January 2025, Egypt has to prove in what way it has undertaken efforts to promote and protect human rights.

Ongoing economic woes in Egypt

Meanwhile, little to none of the more than $57 billion invested in and granted to Egypt by the World Bank, European Union and Gulf countries this year has trickled down to the largely impoverished population.

Inflation remains at a high of around 26%, and prices of staple foods have skyrocketed by more than 70%. 

This has been particularly hard for the roughly one-third of Egypt's 113 million people who are living at or below the poverty line after years of economic crises.

Economic relief, however, may be on the horizon with help from regional powers. In October, high-ranking officials from multiple countries have made visits to Egypt.

On Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with  el-Sissi in Cairo to discuss future investments and trade agreements.

Two years ago, heavily indebted Egypt was still hoping for Saudi grants to avert a financial collapse.

On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in the Egyptian capital for "important talks" with his counterpart, Badr Abdelatty. The last meeting between the Iranian and Egyptian foreign ministers was in 2013.

Edited by: M Gagnon