Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the British Ambassador in Egypt has had with the Egyptian authorities on the planned asset freeze trial in Egypt which could affect the activities of non-governmental organisations working in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are deeply concerned by growing restrictions on civil society in Egypt, including a proposed asset freeze against investigative journalist Hossam Bahgat and human rights defender Gamal Eid. The British Embassy in Cairo has been following the proposed asset freeze closely. Representatives of the British Embassy in Cairo observed the most recent hearing in the asset freeze trial on 24 March. The Ambassador raised concerns over restrictions on civil society with the Minister of Health and with senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2016.