On Thursday, the Belgian parliament urged its government to take a firm position against abuses and violations of human rights in Egypt.

Most parliamentarians voted to demand that their government take action to enhance the human rights situation in Egypt, including making respect for human rights a top priority in diplomatic relations with Egypt and urging the Egyptian government to release political prisoners. Additionally, it was suggested that officials in Egypt who have violated fundamental human rights should face personal consequences.

According to Leslie Piquemal, Senior EU Advocacy Representative at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, it was the first of its sort. The decision followed a protracted process about a year ago when two members proposed denouncing human rights abuses in Egypt in July 2022. European nations have the authority to impose personal sanctions on Egyptian officials, such as denying them access to travel permits and freezing their European bank accounts, according to Piquemal. The Egyptian ambassador to Belgium was contacted by the speaker of the parliament for a reaction.