A British government minister has been criticised for travelling to Cairo to discuss investment in Egypt despite concerns raised by human rights groups about the mass trial of activists who could face death sentences if convicted.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Wednesday ratified the new law regulating the practice of civil work in Egypt, known in the media as the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Law.

Events around the Arab world in the last few years illustrate the weakness of civil society and its incapacity to prevail over well-organised regimes, particularly military ones.

Egypt’s parliament on Monday removed jail penalties from a law controlling operations of non-governmental organisations, but rights groups rejected the changes as insufficient, reports Reuters.

The Social Solidarity Committee in Egypt Parliament’s started discussions on a new draft of the law regulating the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Monday. They are expected to continue discussions on Tuesday.

The Egyptian cabinet approved during its meeting on Wednesday the final draft of the law regulating the practices of non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations.

Leading up to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s Tuesday meeting with US President Donald Trump, intense lobbying efforts were underway in Washington from civil society groups and some US officials for the American leader to raise human rights concerns with his counterpart. 

A defendant in Egypt’s notorious “foreign funding” case on Tuesday tweeted a photo of his official acquittal papers received by post.

Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court on Saturday abolished any government’s authority to dissolve NGOs, according to the state’s MENA news agency.

Amendments of the existing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Law will be issued by the end of March, said the Head of General Union of NGOs, Talaat Abdel Qawi, in press statements on Tuesday.