Egypt condemns U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights statement

CAIRO – 12 September 2017: Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador, Amr Ramadan, criticized on Tuesday the statement of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Raad for criticizing the Egyptian government, saying, “It reflects deranged logic with political views that jump over all barriers.”

The U.N. high commissioner addressed the the 36th opening session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, in which he criticized the Egyptian government, claiming that governments, extremist groups and terrorists pose a danger to the world.

For his part, the Egyptian ambassador said that the comparison reflects a flawed logic and holds political views that jump over all barriers and move in special horizons made by the commissioner himself.

"The commissioner has already been warned about turn his office into a trumpet for organizations motivated by political and material interests, repeating the allegations without fully understanding the reality of the situation and its dimensions,” the Egyptian ambassador added.

Ramadan stated that international law affirms respect for sovereignty, does not regulate certain situations of civil society, and does not place NGOs above national laws, which were created to regulate their work and protect them from malicious exploitation for political purposes and narrow interests.

"The commissioner claimed that the government is cutting off vital services provided by civil organizations. This is far from logical and the policy of the Egyptian state, which requires these organizations to be partners in construction and development. It is not allowed to determine the vitality or legitimacy of these services, nor is it allow to assess who he calls the most thought-provoking voices that are allegedly intimidated," said Ramadan.

The ambassador pointed out that Egypt has repeatedly explained to the commissioner, within the Human Rights Council, and to those who want to know the truth, the rules and guarantees of a fair trial in Egyptian law for any individual, whether civil or military, and legal measures that deter those found guilty of crimes related to torture.

In conclusion, Egypt’s permanent representative called on the high commissioner to work on preserving unity and promoting collective action instead of using the distortion method of propaganda, which only serves deepening the division and dispersion of efforts.