Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt has condemned the recent violence that Egypt has witnessed in light of its second anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. “I am deeply concerned by reports of violent clashes resulting in a number of deaths and injuries, following demonstrations to mark the second anniversary of the 25 January revolution and the verdict in the Port Said court case today,” Burt said in a statement on Saturday. “This cannot help the process of dialogue which we encourage as vital for Egypt today, and we must condemn the violence in the strongest terms," he said, asking all parties to "exercise maximum restraint" and keep protests peaceful. The FM for the Middle East reaffirmed the UK's commitment to assist Egypt in its democratic transition, explaining that while freedom of expression is encouraged, violence is not. The violent confrontations that erupted in light of protests to mark the January 25 uprising led to the death of 40 people in Suez, Ismaliya and Port Said.
