Egyptian forces raided the offices of a number of human rights and civil society groups in Cairo on Thursday amidst growing criticism of the ruling military regime. The groups included the U.S.-funded National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute. Staffers reported being locked inside their offices and having their belongings seized, including books and laptops. The Egyptian military says it targeted 17 Egyptian and international groups as part of a probe into their foreign funding. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland criticized the raid, saying it could jeopardize U.S. foreign assistance.

Victoria Nuland: “The United States is deeply
concerned that Egyptian judicial and police officials raided the offices of a number of non-governmental organizations today, including the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. This action is inconsistent with the bilateral cooperation we have had over many years. We do have a number of new reporting and transparency requirements on funding to Egypt that we have to make to the Congress. The Egyptian government is well aware of that, and it certainly needs to be aware of that in the context of how quickly this issue gets resolved.”