One could have hoped that the regime, feeling more secure in its grip on power, would be willing to address Egypt’s chronic human rights challenges, even if on its terms and according to its own pace. Addressing such deep-seated issues requires cooperation from the regime, not just pressure on it. Willingness to formulate a strategy to deal with these challenges — gradual and slow as such a process might be — would have indeed been welcome news, worthy of engagement and probing.