“I urge President [Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi to fulfill his pledge and release those who have been wrongfully imprisoned not only because it is just, but because it is the best path to ensure Egypt’s stability and security,” McCain said.
McCain said he was initially encouraged that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi acknowledged on Sunday some innocent youths may have been wrongfully imprisoned, and that they would soon be released.
However, the Arizona Senator added that a court in Egypt sentenced liberal democratic activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to five years in prison along with 20 other human rights activists only days later.
McCain explained that Egypt did not need to sacrifice liberty for the sake of stability as the need to defeat the Islamic State and other extremists groups in the region must not blind the United States to its human rights commitments.
“Egypt has legitimate security concerns, and I strongly believe that the United States must support the Egyptian government’s fight against terrorism and extremism,” he said.
Al-Sisi seized power in a 2013 military coup against a government led by the Muslim Brotherhood. Human rights groups have roundly criticized his government for crushing peaceful dissent under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
