On Thursday the European Union congratulated Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on becoming president of Egypt while restating concerns about respect for fundamental rights in the country.

In a statement, the EU said that it trusts Sisi will “tackle the serious challenges faced by the country … among them the dire economic situation, the deep divisions within society, the security situation, and the respect of [sic] the human rights of all Egyptian citizens.”

Reiterating what the European Union Election Observation Mission said in its preliminary report issued on May 29, the EU statement noted the divergence between the rights set out in the new Constitution enacted earlier this year and respect for these rights, singling out freedoms of association, assembly and expression as areas of concern in the context of the elections.

The EU expressed concern about the continued detentions of “members of peaceful civil society, political opposition and activists,” and called on the Egyptian authorities to allow journalists to operate freely. The Committee to Protect Journalists recently issued a list of 16 journalists detained after the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. 

Among them is Al-Jazeera Arabic journalist Abdullah al-Shamy, who has been held without charge since August 2013 and is currently on hunger strike. His detention was extended for another week on Thursday. The trial of Al-Jazeera English journalists Peter Grieste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed was adjourned until June 16 on the same day.

The EU called on the Egyptian authorities to amend the Protest Law passed at the end of 2013 in order to enable peaceful protest, ensure the right to a fair and timely trial on clear charges, and review death sentences handed down to defendants in mass trials.

“The EU hopes that the period ahead, particularly with parliamentary elections in view, will be marked by a spirit of dialogue aimed at reducing political division through reaching out to all major groups including civil society and permitting the political opposition that renounces violence and adheres to democratic principles, to act freely on the basis of the rights enshrined in the Constitution,” the statements read.

The statement ends with the EU reaffirming that it is ready to support the efforts of the new administration. Last week two members of the European Union Election Observation Mission in Egypt left a conference held by the National Council for Women after the council’s head, Mervat al-Talawy, accused the EU of being an enemy of Egypt on the basis of its preliminary report on the elections.

The EU mission in Egypt issued a statement the following day in which it noted that it funds the National Council for Women’s work and suggested that Talawy was “somewhat misinformed” about the report.