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<p>Since July 2013 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have issued several press
statements condemning the use of violence against protesters and calling on the security
forces to act with restraint. Ministers have also made regular representations to
the Egyptian government to state our concerns. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary
of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth
East (Mr Ellwood), issued a press statement on 26 January expressing concern at the
use of deadly force by the police against demonstrators in Egypt. The Secretary of
State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede
and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also raised his concerns directly with the Egyptian Foreign
Minister and pressed for an independent investigation into the deaths of Shaimaa El-Sabbagh
and other demonstrators. President al-Sisi has publicly offered his condolences to
Shaimaa El-Sabbagh’s family, and the Minister of the Interior announced that an investigation
is underway.</p><p>We look forward to the publication of the full report of the Fact-Finding
Committee investigation into the events of 30 June 2013. We have stressed that this
report must be comprehensive, independent and lead to accountability for the deaths
of protestors.</p>
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