After initially declining to criticize President Hosni Mubarak’s government, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Egypt to respect universal rights and adopt reforms.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “We support the universal rights of the Egyptian people, including the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and we urge the Egyptian authorities not to prevent peaceful protests or block communications, including on social media sites. We believe strongly that the Egyptian government has an important opportunity at this moment in time to implement political, economic and social reforms to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.”