Mahmoud Sadeq Ahmed, a 36 years old Egyptian lawyer defending several prisoners who are currently detained in Al Aqrab prison in Cairo, was accompanying a relative to Giza train station on 30 August 2016, when he disappeared. As reported later by his relative, who was also abducted but later released, members of the Egyptian police forces arrested both men, handcuffed and blindfolded them, without giving any specific reason. Despite several attempts of the family to try to locate him, his whereabouts remain unknown to date and the authorities have so far denied explanations, which in turn qualifies this case as enforced disappearance. His family was never informed of his fate and whereabouts, and he has not been presented before a judicial authority, as prescribed by national law.

This case follows a recurrent practice of disappearances, occurring in the last years, and targeting human rights defenders, activists, members of the opposition and journalists in Egypt. In April 2016, Alkarama sent a general allegation to the WGEID to raise its concern over the systematic character of this practice.

"In the past months, thousands of individuals have disappeared, specifically real or alleged members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and have been undergoing prolonged times of secret detention and torture at the hands of the Egyptian authorities," said Simone Di Stefano, Alkarama's Regional Legal Officer for the Nile. "We are extremely worried when it comes to such cases, which unfortunately do not constitute isolated episodes, as the disappeared individuals remain extremely vulnerable being often subjected to torture and not benefitting from any judicial process whatsoever".

In light of the increasing number of enforced disappearances reported in Egypt, with the last case concerning Mahmoud Sadeq Ahmed, Alkarama asked the WGEID to promptly intervene with the Egyptian authorities and to ask for clarification of the fate and whereabouts of the victim. Alkarama urges the Egyptian authorities to adopt a national plan to fight enforced disappearances and to open prompt, independent and impartial investigations into every report of enforced disappearance, while prosecuting and punishing its authors accordingly.

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