EU parliament calls for ban on export of military equipment to Egypt

The European parliament on Thursday passed a resolution calling on the European Union to take action regarding Egypt in light of various infringements on rights of the press and expression.

The resolution called on the EU to ban the export of all “intrusion and surveillance technologies” citing possible use “to spy on and repress citizens”, and an additional ban on security equipment and military aid to Egypt “that could be used in the suppression of peaceful protest”.

Thursday’s resolution also urged the Egyptian government to “immediately and unconditionally release all those detained, convicted and/or sentenced solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedoms of expression and association”.

The EU parliament also expressed its “deepest concern” over a number of court cases, including the sentencing of Al-Jazeera journalists and mass death sentences, calling upon the Egyptian judiciary “to ensure that all court proceedings in the country meet the requirements of free and fair trial and independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of ill-treatment and ensure all detainees have access to any medical attention they may require.”