What is the significance of the great celebration of Sisi in the capital of the European Union?

Extensive activity by the head of the coup in Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in the Belgian capital, Brussels, where he arrived on Tuesday, to attend the sixth session of the African Union-European Union summit, on February 17 and 18, at the European Union headquarters.

Al-Sisi will meet leaders and leaders of the member states of the European and African Union at the sixth session of the African-European Summit, in Brussels on February 17 and 18, where the leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union and the 55 members of the African Union will participate in the summit, including Sisi.

Amidst a remarkable celebration, King Louis Philippe of Belgium received Sisi at the Belgian Royal Palace on Wednesday. The leader of the coup also met with the Prime Minister of Belgium and Alexandre de Croo, as well as the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the Council's headquarters in Brussels.

Prior to his participation, the leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union and the 55 members of the African Union, Sisi received, on Wednesday, the CEOs of a number of Belgian companies, namely "Demi" for dredging works, "Port of Antwerp" and "Fluxis", at his residence. in Brussels.

"European contradiction"

Al-Sisi, on Thursday and Friday, at the summit of the African and European Union, despite the criticism being directed at his regime regarding the human rights file, raises criticism about the contradictory position of the Europeans between criticism at times and celebration at others, and the conclusion of arms deals and trade agreements.

This celebration comes; Following the signing of 200 European parliamentarians, on January 3, a letter in which they called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish a "mechanism" to monitor and address the human rights crisis in Egypt.

Also read: "Rights Watch": Europe should not lay the red carpet for Sisi. European deputies called for "firm measures" to be taken before the session of the UN Council scheduled for March 2022, and blamed the international community for its silence regarding the human rights crisis in Egypt, accusing him of With "continued failure to take any meaningful action to address the crisis."

In conjunction with Al-Sisi's visit to Brussels, Amnesty International said that the European Union leaders meeting in Brussels should pressure Al-Sisi to address the human rights crisis, "and put an end to the ongoing assault on human rights defenders."

European Union director of the organization, Yves Gedi, said: "European Union leaders, who are meeting with Sisi, should take the opportunity to denounce his government's repression of human rights."

"Despite his camouflage attempts to embellish his policies, gross human rights violations continue unabated in Egypt; EU leaders should not give him an opportunity to polish Egypt's deeply repressive policies," she added.

Ghedi said, "By continuing its normal relations with Egypt, the European Union risks undermining its credibility. The meeting with Sisi should not provide an opportunity to hide the horrific human rights violations."

"Allies of tyranny"

As for the indications of the great celebration of Sisi in Brussels, the capital of the European Union, the Egyptian researcher in security affairs, Ahmed Mawlana, said that what we see of the warm welcome to Sisi in Brussels, "is an extension of old European practices during the colonial era and then support for dictatorial regimes in later stages."

In his interview with "Arabi 21", he added: "We find them (Europeans) in the event of a free and popular regime keen to put pressure on it and try to force it and adapt it to implement their interests and goals, and therefore Sisi is the natural ally of European countries."

Concerning the European momentum in Sisi's meetings, despite the criticism of 200 members of the European Parliament of Egypt's human rights file, Maulana explained that "the European Parliament is the weakest of the Union's institutions and its decisions in foreign policy are non-binding, and it does not reflect the policies of states and does not have great powers."

He pointed out that "the European Commission, the European Council, and the position of foreign policy official in the European Union are the actors in European politics, and the members of the European Commission or the European Council are heads of state and prime ministers, and the members of the Commission are chosen by countries, and therefore they are the union's most powerful institutions."

In his assessment of Europe's contradictory policies between celebrating Sisi and criticizing the human rights file, the Egyptian researcher and politician said, "European policies towards the Middle East and Egypt are based on caring for European interests, and they view the region as a source of resources and then export goods to it."

He believes that "it is in their interest that the Arab region not achieve a real renaissance; therefore, they are allies of tyranny, and all the regimes that came to the region after colonialism came in coordination with European powers, even the Israeli occupation was established by Britain and European countries before America."

Maulana emphasized, "Supporting authoritarian regimes is an established relationship in Europe and there is nothing new in it, and their talk about the human rights file is carried out by personalities who care about this file, but they do not have a real impact on the policies and directions of official countries, as well as the policies of the European Union that are more powerful." .

"The whitening plan"

For her part, the head of the Egyptian Revolutionary Council, Dr. Maha Azzam, criticized Sisi's presence in the EU-AU summit statement in Brussels, and what she called Europe's continued allowing Sisi to whitewash the crimes of his authoritarian regime.

In her interview with "Arabi 21", Azzam highlighted the danger that threatens the lives of Egyptians, and the continued violation of the most basic human rights in Egypt by the military dictatorship.

It called on the European Union and member states to review their policies towards the Sisi regime, and called on them to respond to the demands of stopping the suffering of more than 60,000 political opponents detained without a fair trial in Sisi's prisons.

Also read: Germany to Egypt: We will restrict arms exports with human rights standards, and called on the European Union to respond to "the calls of all those who dare to protest inside Egypt, and to stop the persecution of the families of opponents of the regime from outside Egypt."

Azzam said: "The Egyptian army systematically violated human rights, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Parliament, and international human rights organizations, such as (Human Rights Watch) and (Amnesty International)."

She drew attention to Human Rights Watch's assertion that Sisi himself and his security apparatus must be held accountable for the crimes committed, especially the crime committed in the dispersal of a peaceful protest in Rabaa Square on August 14, 2013, which could amount to crimes against humanity.”

Azzam cited the Human Rights Watch report, which stated: "This report identifies senior security officials and key leaders in the chain of command who should be investigated."

"Where there is evidence of their involvement, they bear individual responsibility for planning, implementing or failing to prevent the systematic and widespread killings of protesters during August 2013," according to the human rights organization.

She added: “Among them: the Minister of Defense at the time, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who assumed command of the armed forces, who opened fire on demonstrators on July 5 and 8, 2013, and supervised security as Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs, and he himself admitted spending very long days to discuss All the details related to the dispersal of Rabaa.

Azzam said, "The crimes of systematic torture, disappearance, and extrajudicial killings continue under the regime of General Al-Sisi, as well as the brutal imprisonment of any opponent."

She urged the European Union and member states to "adhere to the principles of human rights and international law, and not to legitimize and empower Sisi by welcoming him on the red carpet, which means ignoring the gross violations of the rights of Egyptians."

Al-Sisi continues to use various means to deflect pressure on himself from the European Union without any meaningful move to reduce his regime's brutal repression.

Here, Azzam asserted, "The European Union should not allow itself to become a partner in Sisi's plan to whitewash the tarnished reputation of his regime."

And she concluded by saying: "The European Union and its member states must bear in mind that the Egyptian people are paying with their lives for Europe's continued partnership with the dictatorship in Egypt and for commercial gains."

She concluded, "Silence in the face of state terrorism, which is represented by the Sisi regime, is a crime against the Egyptian people, and a violation of the principles and values ​​that the European Union seeks to uphold. Therefore, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should not be welcomed in any democratic country."