The Biden administration is set to deny $130 million of military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns, U.S. State Department officials said on Friday, in a rare punishment of a key ally, even though it fell short of expectations of rights groups.
that the aid would be withheld if Egypt did not address specific human-rights-related conditions Washington has set out, which activists say included the release of certain individuals deemed political prisoners.
The portion of the aid withheld accounts for 10 percent of the $1.3 billion that was allocated for Egypt for fiscal year 2020. This amount has been appropriated to Egypt every year since 2017, according to a congressional research report.of air defense radars and C-130 Super Hercules planes to Egypt for a combined value of more than $2.5 billion, raising doubts about the impact of the withheld amount."This was the right decision.
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat and an ally of President Joe Biden, welcomed the decision, and said Sisi had failed to meet the administration's "narrow and wholly achievable human rights conditions." There are no official figures on detainees, but rights groups estimate that tens of thousands were jailed on security-related charges, as Sisi tightened control. Most remain behind bars, rights groups say.
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