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Human rights in spotlight as Egypt's revolution anniversary nears

In the run-up to the anniversary of the January 25 revolution that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's comments on human rights at a youth forum in Sharm El Sheikh are met with a backlash from activists on social media.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi reviews an honor guard prior at The Defense Ministry in Paris on Oct. 23, 2017.

Jan. 25 marks 11 years to the day when thousands of Egyptians marched to Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square to demand "Bread, Freedom and Social Justice!" Little did the anti-government protesters know then that it was to be the start of a mass uprising that 18 days later would lead to the overthrow of longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

Eleven years on, Egyptians find their country still in the tight grip of the military. Many complain that the revolutionary goals of "bread, freedom and social justice" are today even further from reach than they were on that fateful day more than a decade ago. For the Tahrir activists, the anniversary of the Jan. 25, 2011, revolution is a day to reminisce about the tumultuous events that have taken place in their country since and to look ahead to what many of them say is "an uncertain future."

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