At a United Nations of Egypt’s Human Rights record, the US and Europe urged Abel Fattah Al-Sisi to reverse tough measures enacted following last year’s overthrow of his Islamist predecessor; free political prisoners; and investigate alleged abuses by security forces.

“We are deeply concerned with steps taken by Egypt that have resulted in violations of freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, deprived thousands of Egyptians of fair trial guarantees, and undermined civil society’s role in the country,” US Ambassador Keith Harper told the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.

Human rights groups say Egypt’s record has worsened since the ousters of Hosni Mubarek in 2011 and democratically elected successor Mohammed Morsi in 2013.  Hundreds were killed in the wake of each regime change, and Al-Sisi’s crackdown on the deeply unpopular Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood was especially harsh.  Thousands of political opponents languish in jail, mostly Islamists charged with inciting violence.

Egypt’s government dismissed the criticism as based on false information or “misconceptions.”  Cairo says it is trying to contain three years of turmoil that has devastated the economy while battling an increasingly virulent insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula that has carried out scores of deadly attacks, mainly targeting soldiers and police.