State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eivind Vad Petersson received Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) Hossam Bahgat at the ministry's headquarters in Oslo on February 21st.

The meeting, attended by officials from the ministry's Middle East and human rights sections, addressed the general human rights situation in Egypt, especially in light of the joint Egyptian-Norwegian statement which was signed last December by the leaders of both countries and which affirmed respect for international human rights law.

The meeting also reviewed the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which the Egyptian government is currently studying to determine its position ahead of the Human Rights Council session in June.

Bahgat expressed appreciation for Norway's principled and consistent position on the Palestinian cause and the genocidal war in Gaza. He highlighted Norway's recognition of the State of Palestine last year, and its initiative at the UN General Assembly which led to a new request for an advisory opinion by the International Court of JusticeIsrael's obligations under international law, regarding the deprivation of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. 

Bahgat further briefed the Norwegian official and his team on the latest security crackdown on EIPR, referring to the new criminal case filed by the Supreme State Security Prosecution against Bahgat in January on terrorism charges, due to EIPR's human rights activism and its participation in the UPR process.