Dear Secretary of State Blinken,

On June 14, twelve men who had been sentenced to death in Egypt in 2018, including leaders of the 2011 pro-democracy movement, had their death sentences upheld. These men were convicted of alleged crimes relating to their participation in peaceful sit-ins in Raba’a Square opposing the military coup of 2013—protests that ended in the regime’s massacre of hundreds of protesters.

According to Amnesty International, “These ruthless death sentences, which were handed down in 2018 after a grossly unfair mass trial, are a stain on the reputation of Egypt’s highest appeals court and cast a dark shadow over the country’s entire justice system.”

We condemn these convictions and the planned executions. The Biden administration has repeatedly said that human rights are its top priority, and Biden during his presidential campaign promised, “No more blank checks for Trump’s favorite dictator.” Yet, we hear no outcry from the administration.

In this recent appeals denial, we see the tragic consequences of Biden not standing up to General Al-Sisi. When Biden was first sworn in, Al-Sisi appeared to be afraid to go against Biden. Now Al-Sisi acts with impunity because he has learned that Biden will not retaliate and no cuts will be made to the $1.3 billion in military aid that Egypt receives annually from the U.S. 

The U.S. State Department’s human rights report for Egypt contains page after page of the most egregious human rights violations. Despite this report, despite the violence that Al-Sisi continues to perpetrate against his people, the United States keeps sending money to Egypt. Trump’s “favorite dictator” appears to have become Biden’s favorite dictator. 

The Biden administration must condemn, as we do, Al-Sisi’s ruthless violence against his political opponents and call on Al-Sisi to suspend these death sentences and immediately release all political prisoners. 

Sincerely,