Press release

FCO Minister concerned by sentencing of 230 people by Egyptian court

Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood concerned by sentencing of Ahmed Douma and 229 others to life imprisonment in Egypt.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office and The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood
• Published: 5 February 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood said:

I am deeply concerned by the sentencing of activist Ahmed Douma and 229 others to life imprisonment today and that 39 juveniles were sentenced to 10 years in detention, on charges relating to demonstrations in 2011. It is important that reports of serious procedural inconsistencies in the trial should be addressed.

Mass trials and excessive sentences of this kind damage the international community’s confidence in the rule of law in Egypt. I encourage the Egyptian authorities to ensure that all trials in Egypt are conducted in line with international standards and that there is full respect for defendants’ human rights.

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Published 5 February 2015