HRW condemns al-Sisi/Trump talks

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised last Monday’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, saying the move effectively endorses the country's poor recent human rights record. The advocacy group says that under al-Sisi's presidency, tens of thousands of Egyptians have been arrested and security forces have committed human rights abuses including torture, disappearances, and extrajudicial executions. Sarah Margon, Washington director at HRW, said the visit ‘is a strange way to build a stable strategic relationship’. A report on the Al Jazeera site notes that Trump put concerns about Egypt's human rights abuses aside as he welcomed el-Sisi to the White House. Trump said he strongly backed Sisi's leadership and that they would work together to fight against ‘terrorism’.