Foreign ministry regrets European Parliament decision on human rights in Egypt

 Spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid regretted on Friday a decision issued by the European Parliament over alleged violations of human rights in Egypt.

In a statement, Abu Zeid described as "unfair" the decision, noting that it does not reflect the real situation in Egypt and is based on "false claims".

"It is unacceptable to use the case of the murder of the 28-year-old Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni to prove that there are violations of human rights in Egypt," Abu Zeid noted, adding that investigations have been launched by the two countries to reveal facts about the murder of the Italian student.

He refuted claims about forced disappearances in Egypt, saying that those kept in Egypt's prisons are wanted on charges.

The Egyptian government is committed to respecting human rights and freedoms, he said, adding that the Egyptian constitution prohibits all forms of torture. 

A European parliament resolution has condemned the suspected torture and murder of Regeni, saying the killing ought to serve as a “wake-up call” for the EU. 

The resolution, which was overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 588-10, with 59 abstentions, on Thursday, called for the suspension of any form of security cooperation with Egyptian authorities and condemned arms deals between Egypt and France, Germany and the UK.

Source: MENA