The United States intends to withhold $85 million in military aid to Egypt due to Cairo’s failure to meet US conditions regarding the release of political prisoners and other concerns.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, has called on the Biden administration to withhold an additional $235 million. Two other sources familiar with the situation have indicated that a decision on these additional funds is expected soon.
A State Department spokesperson stated that they are consulting with Congress as they finalize their actions regarding the aid to Egypt, in response to Senator Murphy’s comments on the Senate floor.
Out of the $85 million withheld, $55 million will be redirected to Taiwan, and the remaining $30 million will go to Lebanon, as indicated in a State Department letter to congressional committees outlining foreign military financing.
The Egyptian embassy in Washington has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Senator Murphy urged the administration to complete the action by withholding the full $320 million in aid until there is a demonstrable improvement in Egypt’s human rights and democracy record.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about widespread human rights violations in Egypt under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, including allegations of torture and enforced disappearances.
While Egyptian authorities have taken steps since late 2021 to address human rights concerns, such as launching a human rights strategy and ending a state of emergency, critics have regarded these measures as mostly superficial.
While some prominent detainees have been pardoned or released, activists contend that the number of new detentions has outweighed the releases, and thousands of political prisoners remain imprisoned. Furthermore, restrictions on free speech are as stringent as ever.
For decades, the United States has provided Egypt with approximately $1.3 billion in annual aid to purchase US weapons systems and services, primarily as a result of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. In recent years, the US Congress has placed certain conditions on aid related to human rights concerns.