Resolution: Crackdown on liberals in Egypt

Drawing attention to the recent events of protests against the government in Egypt, as well as the establishment of a new opposition party in Egypt, named ‘El-Ghad’, which has been duly approved by the Parties Commission as the first new political party for more than 20 years;

Points to the fact that Dr. Ayman Nour, member of the Egyptian Parliament and leader of the party, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity, arrested and detained for 45 days in January 2005, having been charged of irregularities on doubtful grounds;

Considers that the arrest of the Egyptian MP must be seen as a crackdown on the democracy movement and a step backwards in Egypt’s moves towards political reform at a time when criticism against the regime has become more accepted and the government has formally accepted the establishment of a democratic opposition party;

Regrets that Egypt’s rating in the Freedom in the World survey made by Freedom House has worsened in 2003 and 2004, both concerning political rights and civil liberties;

Welcomes the statement of President Mubarak to open up for multi-candidate presidential elections in the autumn of 2005, and calls on the Egyptian government to ensure that both the presidential election and the planned parliamentary elections will be free and fair;

Calls on the Egyptian government to pay full respect to international conventions on human rights to which Egypt is a signatory, and to open up for further moves towards democratisation and freedom of speech, including the emergence of a true political opposition, and calls on the European Union and the international community to put pressure on Egypt to move in this direction.