We are concerned to hear that the government has invited the Egyptian dictator, Field Marshal Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, to visit the UK. We believe it violates the British values which the government claims to champion to welcome a ruler who has overthrown an elected government and instituted a regime of terror which has thrown back the cause of democracy in Egypt and the wider Middle East many years.

While not necessarily supporting deposed President Morsi or the policies of his Freedom and Justice party, we note that he was democratically elected, and that his removal from office was effected by means of a military coup led by Sisi.

The human cost of Egypt's 'successful war on terror' Read more

Since then Sisi’s military-directed regime has massacred thousands of civilians. Hundreds of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, including President Morsi, have been sentenced to death in mass trials that were a travesty of justice. Almost all independent political activity has been suppressed, including that of liberal and leftwing organisations. Women’s rights have been violated across the country.

Sisi was “elected” president in 2014 in a vote that did not meet the most minimal democratic standards. The parliamentary elections currently taking place in the absence of any real opposition have been shunned by the vast majority of Egyptian voters with record low turnout, in the expectation that the new Egyptian parliament will be no more than a fig leaf for Sisi’s authoritarian regime.

John McDonnell leads calls for UK to cancel Egyptian president’s visit Read more

Meanwhile, security and police forces have illegally arrested, detained and tortured Egyptian citizens, media freedoms have been suppressed and many journalists arrested and abused.

Such renunciation of democracy and human rights has surely contributed to the upsurge of terrorism in Egypt, which we repudiate but regard as a consequence of, rather than a justification for, Sisi’s barbarism.

Under these circumstances, we regard any visit to the UK by this despot as an affront to democratic values. No considerations of commerce or realpolitik can justify such an invitation. We urge the government to withdraw it.



Diane Abbott MP

Caroline Lucas MP

John McDonnell MP

Lindsey German Stop the War Coalition

John Pilger Journalist

Dr Anas Altikriti The Cordoba Foundation

Andrew Murray Chief of staff, Unite

Dr Daud Abdullah British Muslim Initiative

Ken Loach Film-maker

Dr Abdullah Faliq Islamic Forum of Europe

John Rees Counterfire

Dr Maha Azzam Egyptian Revolutionary Council

Harjinder Singh

Prof John L Esposito

Victoria Brittain Writer

Salma Yaqoob Former councillor

Peter Oborne Journalist

Bruce Kent CND peace campaigner

Aaron Kieley Student Broad Left

Kate Hudson CND

Chris Nineham Stop the War Coalition

Michael Rosen Author and political activist

Carl Arrindell Broadcaster

Dr Omar el-Hamdoon Muslim Association of Britain

Dr Farooq Bajwa Solicitor

Reverend Stephen Coles St Thomas the Apostle Church

Steve Bell Treasurer, Stop the War Coalition

Carol Turner Labour CND

Dr David Warren University of Manchester

Tanya Cariina Newbury Smith

Ibrahim Vawda Media Review Network

Nabeweya Malick Muslim Judicial Council

Hilary Aked University of Bath

Alastair Sloan Al-Jazeera columnist and investigative reporter

Dr MF ElShayyal Visiting professor, King’s College and SOAS

Asim Qureshi Author, Rules of the Game

Shaykh Abu Sayeed Da’watul Islam UK & Eire

Dr S Sayyid University of Leeds

Dr Muhammad Feyyaz University of Management and Technology, Pakistan

Dr Haider Bhuiyan University of North Georgia

Dr Osama Rushdi National Council for Human Rights, Egypt

Prof Mohammad Fadel University Toronto, Canada

Prof Scott Poynting University of Auckland, New Zealand

Maher Ansar Sri Lankan Islamic Forum-UK

Dr Alain Gabon USA

Na’eem Jennah

Dr Muhammad Abdul-Bari

Imam Ajmal Masroor

Dr Sarah Marusek

Yahya Birt

Shanon Shah

Robina Samuddin

Sameh Shafei Stop Sisi

Anne Alexander Co-Founder, MENA Solidarity Network and Egypt Solidarity Initiative

Medea Benjamin Code Pink

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