Originally posted to the Middle East Monitor website, 26 January 2021
The French human rights defender Albane de Rochebrune called on the European Union to put pressure on the regime of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to release thousands of political prisoners.
De Rochebrune accused the Egyptian regime of committing multiple crimes against oppositionists and continuing to violate human rights in the country.
In a video published on Twitter, she expressed solidarity with the “Ifraj” (release) campaign launched by the Batel movement last month, to demand the release of elderly and sick detainees.
Local and international human rights organisations revealed that tens of thousands of political oppositionists are detained in Egyptian prisons, with hundreds dying as a result of medical neglect
The Batel campaign was launched in March 2018 against the constitutional amendments made by Al-Sisi, which granted him the right to remain in power until 2030.
On 29 December, Batel called for the immediate release of elderly prisoners in Egyptian jails.
The campaign group called for human rights organisations to highlight the harsh conditions endured by elderly and sick detainees.
