Model motion on Egypt (General)

Read more on the background to the repression on Amnesty International’s website.

1. This union notes with grave concern the far-reaching assault on human rights currently underway in Egypt, three years after the uprising which toppled Mubarak. According to Amnesty International the Egyptian military and security forces have killed around 1,400 people and detained thousands since July 2013. The Muslim Brotherhood has faced the sharpest repression, with over 1000 of the organisation’s supporters killed by the military during the forced dispersal of protest camps in Cairo in August 2013. However, other activists, including many leading figures from the 2011 Revolution, have been arrested and given long jail sentences for defying new laws which restrict freedom of assembly. Journalists, detainees’ legal representatives, human rights activists, academics, students and workers exercising their right to strike and organise are all under threat.

2. This union calls for:

• immediate and unconditional release of those imprisoned for exercising rights to freedom of expression and of assembly;
• repeal of Law 107 of 2013, restricting rights to public assembly;
• independent investigation into state violence and criminality, including assaults on those exercising any of the rights and freedoms above;
• an immediate end to trials of civilians in military and State Security courts

3. This union resolves to work with MENA Solidarity Network to establish a broad-based solidarity initiative to defend Egyptians under threat from the military regime by: [amend as appropriate for your local circumstances]

• making a donation of £XX towards solidarity campaign expenses
• inviting MENA Solidarity to propose a speaker on Egypt for our next meeting
• circulating solidarity appeals and information about the campaign to our members and encouraging them to participate in solidarity action
• writing to the Egyptian authorities condemning the military repression
• writing to the UK government calling for the immediate suspension of all financial, military or other support to the Egyptian authorities which may be used to violate the rights of Egyptian citizens. In particular, we demand immediate cessation of all sales and transfers to the Egyptian government of weapons, ammunition, vehicles, cyber-surveillance technology and other materials for use against those who exercise their right to protest.

4. This union resolves to send this motion to our regional or sector committee / national conference