Film-maker Ken Loach, Irish civil rights activist and journalist Eamonn McCann, the Communication Workers’ Union general secretary Billy Hayes and leading academics from Oxford, Cambridge, London and other UK universities yesterday signed a statement condemning the latest moves by Egypt’s military regime to clamp down on opposition activists. Published in The Guardian’s print edition this morning, the letter draws attention to a recent decision by Egypt’s prosecutor general to freeze the assets of 112 individuals, claiming that they are members or supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, outlawed by the military regime last year. Among those targeted are leading members of left and liberal groups.

The real political purpose of the seizure of assets is revealed by the inclusion on the list of Haitham Mohamedain and Hisham Fouad of the Revolutionary Socialists, Amr Ali of the 6th April Youth Movement and Khaled el-Sayyed from the Youth for Justice and Freedom Movement, all outspoken opponents of the regime and members of left and liberal groups.

They are activists who have fought tirelessly to defend ordinary Egyptians from repression by the state, including the thousands of political prisoners who experience torture and abuse in detention centres, as exposed by the Guardian in June last year ( Hundreds of ‘disappeared’ tortured in Egypt’s secret jail, 23 June 2014).

The statement calls for an end to the crackdown on the opposition, the repeal of death sentences passed in unfair trials and prosecutions based on Egypt’s notorious anti-protest law.

Read the statement in full online here.

What you can do:

• Get involved with our campaigns for justice in Egypt – find out more on this website.
• Join the protest at the Egyptian Embassy in London 1pm on 25 January to mark the anniversary of the 2011 Revolution.