Carter Center Closes Office in Egypt Over Democratic Rights
Source: RIA Novosti
MOSCOW, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Carter Center human rights group, founded by a former US President, Jimmy Carter, has announced that it will close down its office in Egypt's capital, Cairo, after nearly three years of operation, citing the country's restrictions on democratic freedoms.
"The current political environment in Egypt is marked by a severe narrowing of political space and deep polarization. There has been a crackdown on dissidents, opposition groups, and critical journalists, together with heightened restrictions on core freedoms of expression, assembly, and association," the Carter Center said in its statement released Wednesday, particularly concerned about the mass arrest of Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
In addition, the Carter Center said that they would not deploy an observation mission to assess Egypt's parliamentary elections anticipated later this year.
"The upcoming elections are unlikely to advance a genuine democratic transition in Egypt," the statement stated. "Both Egyptian civil society and international organizations face an increasingly restrictive environment that hinders their ability to conduct credible election observation."
Read more: http://en.ria.ru/politics/20141016/194179100/Carter-Center-Closes-Office-in-Egypt-Over-Democratic-Rights.html
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