Look What's Happening in the Country That Just Got $1.5 Billion of Your Taxpayer Dollars

Impact

The U.S. just gave $1.5 billion in aid to a country that is engaged in a brutal crackdown on protesters. 

Egypt's military-led government has reportedly arrested at least 21,000 people since taking power on July 3, and according to Human Rights Watch, the new government killed "more than 1,000 protesters in broad daylight in 2013."

The regime came to power following the ousting of Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood member Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president. Since then, the government has been waging a war against members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

But the government is not only targeting members of the Muslim Brotherhood: It has also attacked press freedom and activists unaffiliated with the banned Islamist group. 

Two weeks ago three Al-Jazeera journalists were arrested and are still in detention. A rise in violence in Egypt over recent years has made it the third most deadly countries for journalists. In 2013, six journalists were killed while covering the clashes between Egyptian security forces and demonstrators.

Well-known youth activists Ahmed Maher and Mohammed Adel are currently in jail. Maher and Adel are co-founders of the April 6 Youth Movement, which was a large part of the protests that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Well-known blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah was arrested in December and has been held ever since.

Just this week, Egyptians headed to the polls to vote on a new constitution that would put more power in the hands of the military and ban religious parties. Protesters calling for a "no" vote were faced with violence, and on Tuesday evening, 11 people died and 28 were injured.

Unfortunately it seems these protests might have been in vain since, according to a recent poll, "more than seven out of 10 Egyptians say it is good to have the army rule."

Here are some photos that give you a picture of what the military regime is doing in Egypt:

1. Clashes between riot police and supporters of Mohamed Morsi

2. Men carrying an injured student injured during clashes in December

3. Plainclothes officers arrest a Morsi supporter during clashes in Cairo

4. A protester evacuates an injured boy during clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square

5. Female supporters of Morsi in the defendants' cage at court, who faced charges for protesting

6. August funeral of a Muslim Brotherhood member slain during clashes

7. Protester kicks at tear gas used to disperse protests this week

8. Youth activist Ahmed Maher (center), is one of the country's leading secular activists being held in prison

9. Protest at the Egyptian Embassy in London, supporting jailed Al-Jazeera journalists.

10. Egyptian police arrest a young man during clashes this week