US-Backed Egypt: Detainee Dies, Rights Violated. Again.
Khalil Abu Heba’s death in an Egyptian prison adds to over 1,200 reported deaths in custody and pervasive torture and disappearances, according to The New Arab. This grim tally occurs under President Sisi, whose regime has been a consistent recipient of U.S. military aid, totaling over $1.3 billion annually for decades, despite consistent State Department reports documenting its atrocious human
rights record. One might wonder where the outrage is when our 'allies' commit the same abuses we condemn elsewhere. While Congress frets about democracy abroad, it seems human rights violations are perfectly acceptable in Cairo, so long as the regime serves U.S. strategic interests. It's a miracle how 'natural causes' becomes the official cause of death so often in prisons run by U.S.-supported
autocrats. Perhaps the State Department needs to update its glossary of terms, clarifying which sovereign deaths are 'tragic' and which are simply 'business as usual'.