US Democrats urge Egypt to free prisoners

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during closure of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 11, 2019.

Simon Maina | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The warning comes two weeks before US elections in which President Donald Trump, who has formed a close alliance with Sisi, is trailing in polls to Democrat Joe Biden.
  • The lawmakers raised cases including Sanaa Seif, a prominent activist taken away in an unmarked minivan in June outside the public prosecutor's office.