A State Department official said Wednesday that the Biden administration is ignoring human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt, giving the U.S. ally its full $1.3 billion aid this year for the first time in that administration despite ongoing concerns about human rights in the country.
The announcement came as Washington leaned heavily on Cairo, a longtime US ally, to broker so far unsuccessful talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Of the $1.3 billion in foreign military funding allocated to Egypt, $320 million is subject to conditions that have caused at least some of that money to be withheld in recent years.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress on Wednesday that he would waive the certification requirement for $225 million related to Egypt's human rights record this year, citing “U.S. national security interests,” a spokesman said in an email.
“This decision is important to advance regional peace and Egypt's concrete and ongoing contribution to U.S. national security priorities, including completing the Gaza ceasefire, returning hostages home, increasing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need, and helping bring about a permanent end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” the spokesman said.
Democrat Chris Murphy, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Middle East subcommittee, said Washington had previously suspended military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns while maintaining strategic relations with the country.
“It is no secret that Egypt remains a deeply repressive autocratic state, and I see no reason to ignore that fact by backing down on these demands,” Murphy said.
Cairo remains a close regional ally of Washington despite allegations of widespread abuses by the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, including torture and enforced disappearances.
Sissi denies that there are political prisoners in Egypt. He says stability and security are paramount and authorities are promoting rights while trying to provide basic needs such as work and housing.
The Gaza war, sparked by attacks by Palestinian militants on southern Israel on October 7, has increased Washington's reliance on Cairo for diplomatic efforts such as cease-fire negotiations. Much-needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza also comes from Egypt.
Last year, Blinken made a similar exception for human rights conditions but suspended some military aid due to Egypt's failure to make “clear and consistent progress” in releasing political prisoners.
The spokesman said he had concluded this year that Egypt had made sufficient efforts to free political prisoners, with the $95 million pledge dependent on progress.
They noted Egypt's efforts to develop legislation to reform pretrial detention and a broader penal code, the release of some political prisoners, and steps to lift travel bans and asset freezes linked to foreign funding of non-governmental organizations.
Seth Binder, advocacy director at the Washington-based Center for Middle East Democracy, said that while some 970 prisoners have been released since last September, at least 2,278 Egyptians have been arbitrarily arrested during the same period, according to data compiled by the center and Egyptian rights groups.
A State Department spokesman said Washington continues “an intensive dialogue with the Egyptian government about the importance of concrete human rights improvements, which are critical to maintaining the strongest possible U.S.-Egypt partnership.”