Washington, DC – This evening, as events in Egypt continue to unfold, Human Rights First’s Neil Hicks issued the following statement:
“President Mubarak’s vaguely worded speech this evening, and conflicting information coming from Egyptian government leaders have intensified the stand off between protesters and the Mubarak regime in the streets of Egypt and increased the possibility of violent confrontation in the days ahead.
“This would be a disaster for the Egyptian people, the Egyptian government, the Egyptian military and for U.S. relations with its long standing ally. All efforts should be made by U.S. and Egyptian leaders to prevent this from happening.
“President Mubarak’s failure to state clearly that he would step down from office has left confusion, frustration and a dangerous lack of direction in Egypt where millions of people are planning to join new protests tomorrow.
“President Mubarak and Vice-President Suleiman have again demonstrated that they are unable to lead Egypt in a peaceful transition to a more democratic, more responsive and more representative government. They should act immediately and decisively to defuse the potential for violence by allowing an inclusive transitional authority, including representatives of the opposition, the military, and other state institutions, to govern Egypt in a transitional period leading up to new elections.”
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