Academics and student union leaders call for protests against Sisi visit

We are appalled to hear that President Abdelfattah el-Sisi of Egypt is due to visit the UK in early November.

As students, university staff and academics, we condemn the British government’s uncritical support for Sisi’s regime, which is responsible for an unprecedented assault on academic and political freedoms.

According to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, last academic year alone 761 Egyptian students were arrested, 89 of whom faced trial in military courts. Academic critics of the regime such as Professor Emad Shahin have been sentenced to death in mass trials condemned by international human rights organisations as farcical.

We call on students, trade unionists and all those who care about freedom of expression and democratic rights in Egypt to protest against Sisi’s visit, and to call on the UK government to end all forms of military and financial support for the Egyptian regime.

Emeritus Professor Jane Aaron, University of South Wales

Professor Nadje Al-Ali, SOAS

Professor Patrick Ainley, University of Greenwich

Dr Anne Alexander, University of Cambridge

Shelly Asquith Vice President for Welfare, National Union of Students

Professor Ruth Aylett, Heriot-Watt University

Dr Maha Azzam, The British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr Alex Bellem, Durham University

Mr Ahmed El-Bakary, Vice Head of the National Union of Students in Egypt and Head of Al-Azhar University Student Union.

Professor Paul Blackledge, Leeds Beckett University and UCU National Executive

Professor Bob Brecher, University of Brighton

Dr Francesca Burke, University of Brighton

Professor Ray Bush, University of Leeds

Dr John Chalcraft, London School of Economics

Professor David Colquhoun, University College London

Dr Simon Cross, Nottingham Trent University

Dr Rowland Curtis, Queen Mary University of London

Johnny Darlington, SOAS UCU

Professor Jonathan Davies, De Monfort University

Dr Benjamin Dawson, Queen Mary University of London

Professor James Dickins, University of Leeds

Dr Mehmet Ali Dikerdem, Middlesex University

Ruth Dineen, Cardiff University

Professor Brian Doherty, Keele University

Professor Naomi Eilan, University of Warwick

Dr Christian Emery, University of Plymouth

Martyn Everett, Independent scholar

Dr Cristina Flesher Fominaya, University of Aberdeen

Dr Priyamvada Gopal, University of Cambridge

Professor Emeritus Timothy Gorringe, University of Exeter

Dr Hugo Gorringe, University of Edinburgh

Dr Toni Haastrup, University of Kent

Dr Adam Hanieh, SOAS

Dr Kate Hardy, University of Leeds

Dr Graeme Hayes, Aston University

Dr Marion Hersh, University of Glasgow and UCU NEC

Dr Tom Hickey, University of Brighton

Professor Lynn Jamieson, University of Edinburgh

Dr Carole Jones, University of Edinburgh

Dr Lee Jones, Queen Mary University of London

Emeritus Professor Ken Jones, Goldsmiths

Oula Kadhum, University of Warwick

Professor Laleh Khalili, SOAS

Professor Alex Law, Abertay University

Dr Yann Lebeau, University of East Anglia

Professor Michael Loughlin, MMU Cheshire

Dr Suhail Malik, Goldsmiths

Dr Nathan Manning University of York

Professor Tim May, University of Durham

Jo McNeill President, University of Liverpool UCU and UCU NEC

Dr Saladin Meckled-Garcia, University College London

Gabriel Newfield Fellow (retired Pro-Director), University of Hertfordshire

Sandy Nicoll SOAS Unison

Professor Samir Okasha Bristol University

Associate Professor Goldie Osuri University of Warwick

Emeritus Professor William Outhwaite University of Newcastle

Dr Owen Parker University of Sheffield

Professor Adrian Piper APRA Foundation Berlin

Professor Malcolm Povey University of Leeds

Dr Laura Povoledo University of the West of England

Dr Nicola Pratt University of Warwick

Mostafa Rajaai International Students Officer, National Union of Students

Dr Keith Reader University of London Institute in Paris

Steve Rooney University of Leicester

Dr Chris Rossdale University of Warwick

Dr Sally Ruane De Monfort University

Professor Raphael Salkie University of Brighton

Dr Julian Saurin University of Sussex

Dr Rasha Soliman University of Leeds

Dr James Sprittles University of Warwick

Harry Stopes University College London

Sibel Taylor Oxford Brookes University

Lisa Tilley University of Warwick

John Wadsworth Goldsmiths

Sean Wallis University College London and UCU National Executive Committee

Saira Weiner Liverpool John Moore’s Uni, UCU NEC, Chair of Women’s Committee

Dr Elisa Wynne-Hughes Cardiff University

Source: The Independent