Paris – France on Thursday urged Egypt to respect freedom of expression and said it was monitoring the situation of hundreds of detained protesters.
'We expect the authorities and relevant public bodies to respect public liberties, notably freedom of expression,' the foreign ministry said in a statement, while assuring that 'It's not up to France to intervene in Egypt's domestic affairs.'
France was fiercely criticized for its refusal to condemn ousted Tunisian autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali when he was still in power.
President Nicolas Sarkozy conceded this week that France had 'underestimated the Tunisian people's desire for freedom.'
At least six people were killed in Egypt on Tuesday and Wednesday during clashes between security forces and protesters calling for an end to President Hosny Mubarak's government.
The Egyptian government has reacted nervously to the demonstrations evidently inspired by Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution, detaining hundreds of protesters and restricting internet access.
