EU Parliament passes resolution to suspend military cooperation with Egypt

The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday recommending the suspension of military aid and assistance to Egypt in light of the “abduction, savage torture and killing” of Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni in Cairo.
The resolution was passed by a majority of EU member states, with 558 voting in favor, 10 against, and 59 abstentions. While it is highly recommended, the resolution is not binding.
Those who opposed the resolution hailed mostly from the far-right of the political spectrum, with four right-wing Dutch representatives voting against, alongside three representatives of the Greek Golden Dawn, one UK member formerly with UKIP and one German representative from the satirical Die PARTEI party.
Those who abstained were made up mostly of representatives also from right-wing parties, alongside a few figures from the far left.
The European Parliament emphasized Regeni’s murder “is not an isolated accident,” but took place within the context of an increase in unlawful practices in Egypt — reports of torture, forced disappearances and the deaths of detainees in police custody.
“The murder of Mr. Regeni, set against a backdrop of growing suspicion around foreign visitors, sends a chilling message to all those in Europe and beyond who are seeking to build ties with Egyptian society and to promote a greater understanding of the country,” according to the European Parliament’s statement.
This motion isn’t binding for member states, according to the spokesperson for the EU office in Cairo, Rasha Serry, who added that the EU Parliament is a sovereign entity that practices its right to vote on such resolutions.