Avoiding Algeria in Egypt

epa00683267 Algerians protest the release of Islamist rebels by the government as part of the reconciliation process; Sunday, 02 April 2006, in Algiers. The protestors held pictures of relatives allegedly slain by the rebels. Separately, the Algerian government said its forces killed 17,000 Islamist rebels during the conflict of the 1990s, the first time it had issued a figure for anti-government casualties. EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA

The military coup that has overthrown Egypt’s first democratically elected president and led to the arrests of Muslim Brotherhood leaders across the country poses an enormous danger not only for Egypt’s democratic transition, but for the democratic hopes of the entire Arab world as well. Alvaro de Vasconcelos calls on European governments to clearly condemn the “coup” and stand for the protection of the Muslim Brothers’ fundamental rights, particularly their right to be full participants in the political process.

The views represented in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arab Reform Initiative, its staff, or its board.