19 January 2015

Egypt: Teenage Student Sexually Abused in Alexandria Police Station

On 15 January 2015, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) regarding the case of Anas Mohamed Mohamed Khamis, a 17-year-old Egyptian student arrested by the police of Alexandria on 26 November 2014. He has since been detained in the police station of Sidi Gaber, where he was subjected to various acts of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual abuse.

Anas Khamis was arrested by a police officer on his was back home from school near Al Siauf Avenue and forcibly brought to Sidi Gaber's police station without being explained the reason behind his arrest. There, he was charged with "illegal demonstration", "damaging a power station" and "destruction of a public facility", charges that relate to his participation in a peaceful demonstration for which he had already been arrested in early 2014 and released on bail on 4 February 2014.

After Khamis acknowledged his participation in the demonstration, he was violently beaten by police officers in order to obtain the names of other demonstrators. He then spent the night in a cell with adult criminals and, still suffering from the torture he had been subjected to, Khamis was brought before the public prosecutor who demanded that his detention be prolonged for another 15 days. His detention has been constantly renewed ever since.

On 22 December 2014, after another hearing with the prosecutor, Khamis was sent back to the police station of Sidi Gaber, where he was sexually abused by a police officer. Although his lawyer asked the public prosecutor to take action against the perpetrator of this crime, his request remained unanswered. When Khamis attempted to commit suicide the following day, the authorities refused to hospitalise him.

In the meantime, his family's complaints to the authorities in order to challenge the lawfulness of his detention have been dismissed by the office of the public prosecutor in Alexandria. Moreover, no investigation was launched into the acts of torture reported by Khamis, who has still not been brought before a judge, and has being detained with adult criminals since his arrest despite his vulnerability due to his young age.

In view of this information, Alkarama sent a communication to the SRT to call upon the Egyptian authorities to guarantee Anas Khamis' mental and physical health, to hospitalise him immediately and to adapt his detention regime to his condition. Moreover, in the absence of physical evidence proving his involvement in the acts he has been accused of, the Egyptian authorities should dismiss the charges held against him. Finally, the authorities should launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the acts of torture that Khamis reported having been subjected to. It is essential that Egypt takes effective measures to end the widespread practice of torture by the police and security forces and guarantees the protection of its citizens from any form of ill-treatment.

For more information or an interview, please contact the media team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Dir: +41 22 734 1007 Ext: 810)

Egypt - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Ratified on 14.01.1982
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Overdue since 01.11.2004 (4th)
Last concluding observations: 28.11.2002

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 25.06.1986
Optional Protocol: No
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

State report: Due on 25.06.2016 (initially due in 2004)
Last concluding observations: 23.12.2002

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

No

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 02.2010 (1st cycle)
Next review: 2014 (2nd cycle)

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) – Status A

Last review: 10.2006
Next review: Deferred