Suspension of U.S. aid to Egypt at one point during the Bush administration proved helpful for an activist accused of receiving unapproved foreign funding, Egyptian-American pro-democracy activist Sherif Mansour told NPR Wednesday.
Mansour and 42 other foreign national non-government organization workers were convicted in an Egyptian court Tuesday of running illegally-operated democracy promotion groups.
"There is a precedent that happened in 2000 and 2003 with a similar trial that were brought against Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, another civil society activist who was accused of receiving funding without approval," Mansour said. "And for three years, he competed in Egyptian system until he reached the court decision and was able to prove himself innocent. And in the process, President Bush at the time suspended additional aid that was supposed to go to Egypt. And many, including myself, thought that was helpful in the case."
Ibrahim's 2002 conviction on charges of defaming Egypt in a documentary and receiving European Union grant money without Egyptian permission drew outrage from the Bush administration. Ibrahim, an activist who has been jailed three times for his work, said the suspension of aid made his "stocks in prison jump" and that it was important for the U.S. to support imprisoned advocates for democracy.
This week's convictions drew stern words from Secretary of State John Kerry but it remained unclear whether there would be any further consequences from the Obama administration, Al Jazeera reports:
The State Department issued a tough statement in Kerry's name but did not hint at any consequences - such as a cut in US assistance to Egypt - as a result of the verdict.
"The United States is deeply concerned by the guilty verdicts and sentences ... handed down by an Egyptian court today against 43 NGO representatives in what was a politically motivated trial," he said.
"The decision to close these organisations' offices and seize their assets contradicts the government of Egypt's commitments to support the role of civil society as a fundamental actor in a democracy."
However, Mansour said the U.S. role in this trial was "counterproductive."
"I was very disappointed, to be honest, about how the U.S. government have dealt with this case," he said. "And I don't rely on them to do a better job."