Egypt rejects UN bod statement on anti-gov’t protests

Cairo, Sep 29 (IANS) Egypt rejected the recent statement issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on recent protests in Egypt.

"It is unacceptable that such statement is issued by a UN entity that should verify the accuracy of its statement and should not base its assessments on assumptions and expectations in order to promote impressions that run counter to the reality and truth of matters," Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Friday, The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed serious concerns about reports of "lack of due process following arrests linked to the protests in Egypt," and urged the Egypt’s authorities to "respect the right of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in full compliance with international norms and standards."

In a statement, he urged the Egyptian authorities to radically change their approach to any future protests.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Bachelet’s statement is "based on baseless information since the allegations it contains are based on false assumptions."

Last week, hundreds of people protested against the Egyptian government in several cities after an Egyptian exiled contractor posted videos online, charging the government of corruption and lavish spending of public funds, according to local media.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has previously described the allegations as "lies and slander," urging the Egyptian media to confront such slandering campaigns.