On Wednesday in Alexandria, 21 women and girls - seven under 18 years of age - were sentenced to 11 years in prison. They had been arrested for engaging in a peaceful pro-Morsi demonstration last month. The demonstration was in contravention of strict new protest laws handed down by the military-backed government in Cairo.
The US State Department has issued criticisms and urgings regarding the new protest laws, in addition to Washington's symbolic partial-withholding of military aid. And while democracy promotion is generally not a feature of US foreign policy, White House planners would prefer Egypt not go the way of Syria. So when the State Department says it's looking to see "credible progress," this is the calculus.
Actions such as the sentencing in Alexandria are beyond the pale and morally appalling. Americans would only have to speak up a little to motivate the White House to express our feelings to Cairo's leadership.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/11/activists-decry-harsh-sentences-egypt-2013112811319166328.html
