Egypt: Repression intensifies ahead of human rights record review
In January alone, authorities ramped up their targeting of several critics. A criminal investigation was opened against renowned human rights defender Hossam Bahgat, while prominent opposition politician and publisher Hisham Kassem learned for the first time about a criminal investigation against him, which had been initiated the previous year. Meanwhile, Nada Mogheeth, spouse of detained cartoonist Ashraf Omar, was arrested in connection with an interview she gave with journalist Ahmed Serag, who was himself arrested the day before for the same interview. TikToker Mohamed Allam, known as Rivaldo, was also arrested over viral videos critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
'It is a stark irony that the Egyptian government launched this crackdown just ahead of its appearance before the Human Rights Council. The government is sending a crystal clear message that it has no intention of tolerating any form of dissent or improving its abysmal human rights record,' said Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt Researcher at Amnesty International.
'The crackdown also coincides with the lead up to the anniversary of the 25 January Revolution of 2011, a period marked year after year by relentless targeting of actual or suspected dissidents in an attempt by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government to prevent any protests or commemorations.'
Politically-motivated criminal investigations
On 15 January, the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) summoned Hossam Bahgat, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), for questioning on 19 January. Prosecutors opened an investigation into him on charges of 'spreading false news' and 'aiding and funding a terrorist group.' The latter offence is punishable by a life sentence or the death penalty.
Hossam Bahgat told Amnesty International that prosecutors questioned him for four hours about the establishment of EIPR, its work and funding. They also grilled him about an EIPR statement – which had prompted a threat of legal action from the Ministry of Interior – about deteriorating detention conditions at 10th of Ramadan prison. He was released on EGP 20,000 bail (around USD 398), but the criminal investigation against him remains open.
Prosecutors told Hossam Bahgat that the charges stem from multiple complaints filed by regular citizens, as well as from the National Security Agency (NSA). He told Amnesty International that prosecutors refused to allow him or his lawyers to review these complaints. Prosecutors only read one line to him from the NSA's investigations, which accused Hossam Bahgat of 'receiving instructions from foreign organizations and proactive elements to spread rumours and false information in order to undermining state institutions, disturbing public order, and spreading fear among citizens'.
On 2 January, Hisham Kassem learned through news websites that he has a hearing scheduled for 9 February in a new criminal case on charges of 'defamation' and 'intentional disturbance.' These charges are related to his same social media post for which he was unjustly convicted, sentenced and imprisoned in 2024. In the post from 29 July 2023, Hisham Kassem referred to alleged corruption by two former government ministers. His lawyer, Nasser Amin, told Amnesty International that Hisham Kassem was never notified about the new case, which was initiated by a complaint filed by one of the former ministers on 16 September 2023. The court held a hearing for the new case on 11 December 2023 without informing Hisham Kassem.
Government critics detained
On 16 January, two men in plain clothes arrested Nada Mogheeth at her home without presenting an arrest warrant. According to a lawyer who attended her interrogations, the SSSP prosecutors opened an investigation against her on charges of 'joining a terrorist group' and 'spreading false news.' These charges are related to a media interview she gave in December 2024 to Ahmed Serag, a journalist at the independent website Zat Masr, in which she discussed the case of her detained husband, Ashraf Omar, who was arrested due to his media work. Prosecutors released her on EGP 5,000 bail.
The previous day, security forces had arrested Ahmed Serag at his workplace in Cairo. According to his lawyer, SSSP prosecutors opened an investigation against him on charges of 'joining a terrorist group,' 'using the Zat Masr website to promote the group's ideas,' 'spreading false news,' and 'commissioning a crime related to funding terrorism.' Amnesty International learned that the NSA accused Ahmed Serag of 'receiving instructions from provocative leaders outside the country to carry out a hostile plan against the state'. He remains detained at 10th of Ramadan Prison.
On 11 January, security forces arrested 24-year-old Mohamed Allam at a relative's house in Giza governorate. In the weeks prior, Allam had posted several videos on TikTok critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. In one of the videos, reviewed by Amnesty International, he stated that 'al-Sisi and his government are afraid of an uprising' and listed several issues he claimed were caused by the government, including the 'ruin of education and the economy,' as well as the detention of individuals simply for expressing their views.
Security forces brought Mohamed Allam before the SSSP on 20 January, after they forcibly disappeared for more than a week at an NSA facility in Giza. SSSP prosecutors investigated him on charges of 'joining a terrorist group,' 'inciting the commission of terrorist crimes,' and 'spreading false news.' Mohamed Allam told prosecutors that NSA agents subjected him to electric shocks, beatings, and kept him blindfolded, according to his lawyer Nabeh Elganadi. Prosecutors referred him for forensic examination based on his statement. He remains retained at 10th of Ramdan Prison.
Background
Egypt's human rights record will be examined by the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review Working Group on 28 January 2025. In its submission, Amnesty International highlighted Egypt's protracted and ongoing human rights and impunity crisis.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
9 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Saudi Arabia executing foreigners on drugs charges at 'horrifying' rate, says Amnesty
There has been a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia, particularly in relation to drug offences, a new report published by Amnesty International on Monday has revealed. The kingdom executed 1,816 people between January 2014 and June 2025, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. Of those, nearly one third (597) were for drug-related offences, which may not be punishable by death under international human rights law and norms. Around three quarters of those executed for drug offences were foreign nationals. 'We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend, with foreign nationals being put to death at a startling rate for crimes that should never carry the death penalty,' Amnesty's Kristine Beckerle said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Executions in Saudi Arabia have risen steadily over the past year and a half. In 2024, the kingdom executed 345 people - the highest annual figure that Amnesty has recorded in over three decades. So far this year, 180 people have been executed. Last month alone, 46 executions were carried out, 37 of which were for drug-related offences. They were made up of nationals from Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria. In January 2021, Riyadh had announced a moratorium on drug related-executions, but that was lifted in November the following year. 'Cruel, inhuman and degrading' Last month, inmates and their relatives told Middle East Eye that executions could take place 'any day'. The men were all from Ethiopia and Somalia and had been convicted of drug trafficking. 'They have told us to say our goodbyes,' one of the convicted men told MEE. 'We were told that executions would begin shortly after Eid al-Adha (5-9 June), and now they have started.' 'Saudi Arabia's allies in the international community must exert urgent pressure on the authorities to halt their execution spree' - Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International In its report, Amnesty interviewed the families of 13 inmates on death row, as well as community members and consulate officials. It also reviewed court documents. Based on the testimonies and evidence, it concluded that limited levels of education and disadvantaged socio-economic status of foreign nationals increased their risk of exploitation and lack of legal representation. The family of 27-year-old Khalid Mohammed Ibrahim, who was put on death row on alleged drug trafficking charges, told MEE it had been a harrowing seven years for the family since he was arrested. 'He tried to enter the country through Yemen,' his older brother Muleta said. 'A border guard encouraged him to tell his jailers that he was a drug smuggler, saying it would get him sent to court and quickly cleared since there was no evidence. He believed them.' In addition to drug offences, Amnesty reported on the use of the death penalty against Saudi Arabia's Shia minority on 'terrorism' related charges. The rights group said that despite Shia communities making up around 12 percent of the Saudi population, they accounted for around 42 percent (120 of 286) of terrorism-related executions since 2014. Saudi Arabia plans to execute Shia youths on charges UN deems 'arbitrary' Read More » The report added that seven young men currently at risk of execution were under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged offences. Imposing the death penalty on those who were minors at the time of the alleged crime is prohibited under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - a treaty which Saudi Arabia is a state party to. 'The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, it should not be used under any circumstances,' said Beckerle. 'In addition to immediately establishing a moratorium on executions, pending full abolition of the death penalty, Saudi Arabia's authorities must amend national laws to remove the death penalty and commute all death sentences. 'Saudi Arabia's allies in the international community must exert urgent pressure on the authorities to halt their execution spree and uphold international human rights obligations.'
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Sheikh Khaled leads UAE at BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro
On behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, is leading the UAE delegation at the 17th BRICS Summit, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, from 6-7 July 2025. The UAE joined BRICS during the 15th BRICS Summit, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023. The UAE's membership reflects its commitment to multilateral cooperation and constructive dialogue through platforms that represent developing and emerging economies on the global stage, while leveraging cultural diversity to promote peace, security and development both regionally and internationally. The BRICS nations will convene for a summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday and Monday, with members hoping to weigh in on global crises while tiptoeing around US President Donald Trump's policies. The city, with beefed-up security, will play host to leaders and diplomats from 11 emerging economies including China, India, Russia, South Africa and host Brazil, which represent nearly half of the world's population and 40 per cent of its GDP. Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will have to navigate the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will miss the summit for the first time. Beijing will instead be represented by Premier Li Qiang. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is facing a pending International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, will not travel to Brazil, but is set to participate via video link, according to the Kremlin. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, fresh from a 12-day conflict with Israel and a skirmish with the United States, will also be absent, as will his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, a Brazilian government source told reporters. Tensions in the Middle East, including Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, will weigh on the summit, as well as the grim anticipation of tariffs threatened by Trump and due next week. Trump said that starting Friday, his administration would send countries letters stating their tariff levels, as negotiations to avoid higher US levies enter the final stretch. 'We're anticipating a summit with a cautious tone: it will be difficult to mention the United States by name in the final declaration,' Marta Fernandez, director of the BRICS Policy Center at Rio's Pontifical Catholic University, told AFP. China, for example, 'is trying to adopt a restrained position on the Middle East,' Fernandez said, pointing out that Beijing was also in tricky tariff negotiations with Washington. WAM/ Agencies
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Egypt hosts secret talks between Sudan's Burhan and Libya's Haftar in bid to mend ties, sources say
Egypt hosted direct talks between Sudan's army chief and de-facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Libya's eastern commander Khalifa Haftar this week, in a bid to mediate between two allies on opposing sides of Sudan's war, multiple sources told Middle East Eye. Underscoring the sensitive nature of the talks, the Egyptian government released separate photos of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meeting first the Libyan delegation and then the Sudanese delegation in what appeared to be the same room in the Mediterranean coastal city of el-Alamein. Privately, however, Burhan and Haftar, along with their delegations, held face-to-face talks as part of an effort by Sisi to manage tricky relations between two important partners. Egypt backs both Burhan, who is fighting a brutal war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Haftar, the commander who controls eastern Libya. According to a Sudanese intelligence source, the meeting between the two leaders did not go well. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Extremely worried by the prospect of Sudan's war spilling over into Egypt and by the disruption of trade in the volatile triangle border region that takes in Libya, Sudan and Egypt, Sisi was hoping to broker a peace deal between Burhan and Haftar. Instead, the Sudanese army chief accused the eastern Libyan commander of smuggling weapons to the RSF, and of working with the United Arab Emirates to assist the paramilitary of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo in other ways, the sources said. Haftar, who had one of his sons with him, denied the accusations. Burhan told him that he was not being honest, and that the Sudanese had proof of his involvement. The Sudanese delegation mentioned that Sadeeq Haftar, Khalifa's son, had been in Sudan before the war began in April 2023, and had met with Dagalo, the RSF chief better known as Hemeti. Days after the war began on 15 April, MEE reported that Sadeeq had flown to Khartoum on a private jet and donated $2m to a football club connected to Hemeti, before breaking his fast with the RSF leader at his home in the Sudanese capital. According to the Sudanese intelligence source, the meeting between Burhan and Haftar ended badly, with Sisi also not happy about the conversation. Border trouble Sudan, Libya and Egypt's borders all meet in the vast, lawless, triangle desert region. When fighting between Burhan's army and the RSF first erupted in 2023, Haftar sent military supplies by truck and planes to the RSF. Those supplies tapered off as the RSF turned to a more convenient route through neighbouring Chad. Egypt asks US to pressure Libya's Haftar not to back Turkey maritime deal Read More » More recently, forces in southern Libya loyal to Haftar joined the RSF in attacking border posts controlled by the Sudanese army. The RSF's seizure of the border triangle alarmed Cairo. Now, the Sudanese intelligence source said, the RSF had taken over Maaten al-Sarra airbase in the Kufra district of southern Libya. This base is integral to the supply of weapons to the paramilitary in Sudan and to the export of gold out of the country from the mines of Darfur, which are owned and controlled by the Dagalo family. Egyptian officials have blamed Haftar's youngest son, Saddam, for the raid in the triangle region. Saddam serves as chief of staff in his father's army and controls militias, including Islamists, in southern Libya. He is increasingly seen as the successor to his 81-year-old father and has been courting support in Washington and Ankara. An Egyptian analyst, who requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject, told MEE that "the problem is the relationship between Saddam Haftar and the RSF. Khalifa is losing power as he gets older, and this power is now divided up among his three sons." "Egypt has a hold on the relationship with Sadeeq Haftar internally and inside Libya," the source said, "but not the other two sons, Saddam and Khaled, who run the Islamist groups that work with the RSF on the border." According to the sources, both Saddam and Khaled Haftar attended the meeting with Sisi. Egypt's director of general intelligence service, Major-General Hassan Rashad, was also at the talks. Egypt, Libya, Sudan Egypt has played an outsized role in Libya since the Nato-led ousting of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country descended into civil war, which became a proxy conflict with Russia, the UAE, Egypt and France backing Haftar and Turkey supporting a rival government in western Libya. RSF advance on Libyan border marks new phase in spread of Sudan's war Read More » Like in Libya, Sudan's ruler Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019, having taken power in 1989. Four years later, fighting broke out between Burhan's army and the RSF, a paramilitary once loyal to Bashir and allied to the army. Egypt supports Burhan and his army, though this support is, for the most part, just logistical. At the onset of the conflict, Egyptian pilots flew planes supporting Sudanese army operations against the RSF. The longstanding relations between Egypt and Sudan's armies and its support for Burhan in Sudan's ongoing war have been a problem for relations between Cairo and its powerful Gulf ally, the UAE, which is the RSF's main patron. External monitors have documented military shipments emanating from the UAE to the RSF. Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab recently reported that Chinese-made drones 'consistent with FH-95s' bought by the UAE had been flown into RSF-controlled Darfur. In May, Amnesty International found that the UAE, which continues to deny supporting the RSF, was sending Chinese-made weaponry, including GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers, into Darfur despite an ongoing UN arms embargo. Gold continues to flow out of the Dagalo family's lucrative gold mines in Darfur, with Hemeti stashing much of his wealth in Dubai. Some of the gold also finds its way to Russia, which is continuing to play both sides in Sudan's war - the Russian government offers support to Burhan's army while the Africa Corps, the successor to the Wagner Group, continues its partnership with the RSF. Sudan and Libya underscore the convoluted web of alliances and counter-alliances that have come to define the region since leaders like Gaddafi and later Bashir were removed from power. The old ideological faultiness that emerged in the post-2011 Arab Spring era have become murkier. Egypt and the UAE both supported Haftar in 2019 in his bid to conquer Tripoli, the seat of Libya's internationally recognised government. At the time, the RSF sent fighters to bolster Haftar's ranks. Haftar still enjoys support from the UAE, but Saddam Haftar has been courting Qatar and Turkey more recently - two of the UAE's traditional foes. Likewise, cash-strapped Egypt has received billions of dollars in investments from the UAE and continues to back Haftar, but is opposed to the RSF.
