The New York-based organization made the request on Wednesday as the two chief executives are scheduled to meet during al-Sisi’s inaugural visit to the United Nations General Assembly.
“Obama should press concerns about Egypt’s human rights abuses, including the widespread jailing of political opponents, mass death sentences, and lack of accountability for the killing of more than 1,000 protesters by security forces in July and August 2013,” the HRW said.
Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director of the rights organization, added that Egyptian officials “have gotten away with crushing dissent by lethal force.”
Egypt has been the scene of anti-government protests with continuous clashes between security forces and former President Mohamed Morsi’s supporters since his military-backed ouster in July 2013.
Following the toppling of Morsi, al-Sisi announced his candidacy for the country’s presidency and was sworn in as president after winning an election in which less that 50 percent of eligible voters participated.
Rights groups say the army’s crackdown on the supporters of Morsi has left over 1,400 people dead and 22,000 others arrested. A large number of the former president’s supporters have so far been sentenced to death or long prison terms.
Whitson further said that President Obama “should seize the opportunity to send a clear message to al-Sisi but also to Egypt’s independent organizations, that the US is a true friend of Egypt and Egyptians not just of the current sitting strongman.”
