Egypt Launches Platform on Human Rights Conditions

Egyptian deputy of the human rights committee in parliament, Margaret Azer  (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian deputy of the human rights committee in parliament, Margaret Azer (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt Launches Platform on Human Rights Conditions

Egyptian deputy of the human rights committee in parliament, Margaret Azer  (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian deputy of the human rights committee in parliament, Margaret Azer (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt launched a trilingual platform that provides information on the human rights conditions in the country.

The portal includes a database of all local, regional and international information about human rights, announced the State Information Service (SIS), adding that it is meant to promote a correct understanding of human rights, taking into consideration the economic, social, cultural and political aspects.

SIS also indicated that it will use the portal to confront attempts to politicize human rights’ conditions in the country.

The platform is part of a broad media activity being carried out to achieve Egypt's goals in promoting and spreading the culture of human rights, according to SIS chairman Diaa Rashwan.

Egyptian deputy of the human rights committee in parliament, Margaret Azer told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new platform will use evidence to respond to “suspicious” organizations trying to politically exploit human rights issues in Egypt.

It will also respond to the questions and reports of international organizations on conditions in Egypt.

In March, Cairo responded to the US State Department's annual report on the human rights situation in the world in 2018, saying it was “not objective” and makes unsubstantiated claims about the state of human rights in the country.

Egypt has repeatedly asked Human Rights Watch (HRW) to be accurate about its human rights reports.



France Expels Algerian Diplomats in Tit-for-tat Decision

This photograph shows the national flag of Algeria flying at the Algerian Embassy in Paris on May 14, 2025. (Photo by Kiran RIDLEY / AFP)
This photograph shows the national flag of Algeria flying at the Algerian Embassy in Paris on May 14, 2025. (Photo by Kiran RIDLEY / AFP)
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France Expels Algerian Diplomats in Tit-for-tat Decision

This photograph shows the national flag of Algeria flying at the Algerian Embassy in Paris on May 14, 2025. (Photo by Kiran RIDLEY / AFP)
This photograph shows the national flag of Algeria flying at the Algerian Embassy in Paris on May 14, 2025. (Photo by Kiran RIDLEY / AFP)

France said Wednesday it will expel Algerian diplomats in response to Algeria’s decision to do the same.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said in a statement it had summoned Algerian officials to inform them of the decision, describing it as “strict reciprocity” after 15 French officials were expelled from Algiers on Sunday.

France called on Algerian authorities to “demonstrate responsibility and to return to a demanding and constructive dialogue that had been initiated by our authorities, in the interest of both countries.”

“The Algerians wanted to send back our agents; we are sending theirs back,” French Foreign Minister Noël Barrot said on Wednesday, speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV.

Algeria said it expelled French officials on Sunday because France had broken procedures, including in how it assigned new diplomats to replace a different set that were expelled last month.

Despite economic ties and security cooperation, France and Algeria for decades have clashed over issues ranging from immigration to the painful legacy of French colonialism.

Wednesday’s decision came as Kabyle opposition figure Aksel Bellabbaci walked free after a Paris appeals court shunned Algeria’s request to extradite him on terrorism charges.

The 42-year-old vice president of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabyle (MAK) has lived in France since 2012.