Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Egyptian counterpart on the charging of Mr Mina Thabet with undermining national security.

We are aware of Mr Thabet’s case and are concerned about the decreasing space for civil society to operate in Egypt. We urge the Government of Egypt to allow NGOs to operate freely.

I have raised our concerns about pressure on NGOs with the Egyptian Ambassador to London and made a statement on 22 March on this issue. My officials regularly raise our concerns with representatives from the Egyptian Government in both Cairo and London, and will continue to do so.