Egyptian authorities ban Left meeting

The European Left reacts to Egyptian authorities’ ban on Left meeting:

“The Secretariat of the Party of the European Left condemns the forced cancellation by the Egyptian authorities – the National Security Agency – of the extended Coordination group meeting in Cairo, 8 – 9 December, to prepare the Fourth Mediterranean Conference of the LEFT due to take place in 2019.

On 5 December, just three days before the meeting, the Egyptian authorities chose to prohibit the meeting, despite being fully informed for some weeks of the meeting as well as of details concerning the meeting such as the venue, its content, the participants etc. As such this was a deliberate attack to prevent the meeting and its purpose – an act of repression directed at the Egyptian left, the Arab left, as well as the European Left.

The content of the meeting was among other issues to discuss the current developments in the Middle East and Northern Africa, especially increasing terrorism, also as part of the European experience, and how to deal with this to promote peace and democracy. It is unacceptable indeed to see the Egyptian authorities prohibiting a meeting dealing with issues that should be in the interest of all Egyptians.

We find it also striking and quite unacceptable to see the Egyptian authorities directing their act of repression against European political parties, as well as against parties from elsewhere around the Mediterranean, from Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon etc., who were going to meet in Cairo. This is a clear example of the increasing mindless and arbitrary suppression taking place in Egypt.

The European Left will persist in and reinforce its partnership with left forces in Egypt and in the whole region of the Mediterranean, with the perspective of continuing our dialogue and discussions and the necessary efforts to strive for a different Middle East, Northern Africa and Europe, free of arbitrary suppression, occupation, discrimination, austerity, and exploitation.

Our next step is organizing the Fourth Mediterranean conference of the LEFT in 2019. Our goal is building societies based on social and ecological justice, civil and human rights, peace, democratic participation, equality and equal opportunities with a view to liberate the peoples and working classes north and south of the Mediterranean.”



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