Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 September 2018
43. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an Egyptian court recently sentenced 75 persons to death over a 2013 protest in Rabaa; if he will condemn these death sentences and call for them to be reversed; if he will condemn the other sentences which were handed out in this trial; and if he will raise his concerns with his Egyptian counterpart. [38104/18]
View answerIreland appreciates the magnitude of the challenges facing Egypt and we are committed to supporting Egypt in dealing with these. However, I believe that a strong and stable democracy cannot flourish without full respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.
In this regard, Ireland is unequivocal in its stance on the death penalty. We oppose and condemn its use in all circumstances. We further believe that the use of the death penalty is not only morally reprehensible, but counter-productive, both as a crime deterrent and as a punishment. The abolition of the death penalty is one of Ireland’s international priorities, and my Department regularly conveys our stance on this issue to all countries where the death penalty is still in use.
We believe that the EU provides one of the most effective channels for raising concerns about human rights. In response to this particular case, the EU has publicly reiterated its call for the universal abolition of the death penalty. The EU has also issued a statement raising concerns about the conduct of the trial which “cast serious doubts on the respect of due process and in particular the defendants’ rights to a fair trial”.
The EU and Egypt adopted partnership priorities for 2017-2020 at the EU-Egypt Association Council, which took place in July 2017. The priorities make it clear that human rights – civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as set out in international human rights law, the Treaty on European Union and the Egyptian Constitution – are a common value and constitute the cornerstone of a modern democratic state. These agreed priorities commit Egypt and the EU to promoting democracy, fundamental freedoms and human rights as constitutional rights of all citizens, in line with their international obligations.
