US Senator Blocks Additional $75 Million in Military Aid to Egypt Over Human Rights Record

The Biden administration will cut $75 million in planned annual military aid to Egypt. The aid is being withheld due to Egypt’s poor human rights record, specifically its holding of an estimated 60,000 political prisoners. The aid cut was announced on Monday by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy. He called the situation facing political prisoners in Egypt “deplorable.” Rights groups claim that critics of the Egyptian government have been killed, imprisoned and tortured. Egypt receives more than $1 billion in military aid from the US annually, with some $300,000 million contingent on progress on human rights issues, such as making “clear and consistent progress” in releasing political prisoners and providing detainees with due process of law. Last month, the Biden administration said it would withhold $130 million in military air to Egypt but would allow $75 million to be paid, citing Egypt’s release of 500 political prisoners.  But Leahy objected to the administration’s decision, and allowed the funding deadline to pass, and the $75 million in aid to expire.