A United States senator has blocked the payment of $75m (£66m) in aid to Egypt over human rights concerns.
The money, which is subject to a waiver if required reforms are not carried out, was to have been paid by President Joe Biden’s administration after Egypt released 500 political prisoners.
But with thousands of others still in jail, US senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, insisted Egypt needed to do more to improve what he called the “deplorable” situation facing its political prisoners.
The US allocates around $1.3bn in aid to Egypt annually, much of which has no conditions attached.
In September, the Biden administration withheld $130 million of the amount over human rights concerns but said it would allow $75 million to be paid because Egypt had released 500 political prisoners.
But Leahy, who is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and has jurisdiction over spending legislation and financial assistance, has rejected the assessment justifying the aid.
“We should take this law very seriously, because the situation facing political prisoners in Egypt is deplorable,” he said.
Egypt has had a poor human rights record especially since Al-Sisi came into power with many opposition figures arbitrarily arrested and clamped into detention.
And despite making some “surface reforms” and releasing hundred political prisoners, thousands still remain behind bars, including more than 80 lawyers.
Among those still incarcerated are former presidential candidate, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, who was arrested in 2018 after criticising the government and calling for a boycott of the presidential elections.
Fotouh who is in his 70s, is still in prison and is not allowed to access the prison library and has not been given a TV, books, or a magazine, according to secret security reports.