By IRNA,
Berlin : German-made weapons are being used by the Mubarak regime to suppress the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Cairo, a senior German legislator of the opposition party The Left said on Thursday.
The deputy head of The Left faction, Jan van Aken said there were images and videos showing the deployment of water-cannons produced by the German MAN company.
Van Aken said total German arms sales to Egpyt since 2000 has reached more than 270 million euros, among them tanks, 1726 submachine guns and 606 rifles.
‘Whoever delivers arms to dictators is being an accomplice to the repression, censorship and human rights violations,’ according to the radical leftist lawmaker.
‘Although the federal (German) government was aware of severe human rights violations, it approved arms exports to Egypt year for year,’ the MP said.
Van Aken stressed Berlin had not only ignored human right breaches in Egypt but ‘actively supported it through massive arms deliveries.’
Meanwhile, another member of The Left parliamentary group, Wolfgang Gehrcke called on the German government ‘to immediately summon the Egyptian ambassador’ over the brutal crackdown of peaceful protests in that country.
He also urged a German freeze on financial assistance in the area of bilateral police and military cooperation.
Germany has reportedly pledged 200 million euros in overall development aid for Egypt in 2011 and 2012.
A very close strategic ally of the Mubarak regime, Germany has stopped well short of demanding the ouster of the Egyptian president.
Berlin’s strong support for Mubarak over the past 30 years was mainly linked to his backing of the Zionist regime.
Germany’s main political priority in the Middle East is only what it says the security of the illegal Jewish state.