Egypt - Latest Press Releases

On 12 and 31 January 2016, the police respectively arrested 15-year-old Asser Mohammed Zahr Aldeen Abdelwarth and 18-year-old Abdelrahman Mohammed Saleh Mohammed at their home, in Giza and Cairo. In spite of their numerous efforts to locate them, their respective families have not heard from them since and fear that they could be tortured during their secret detention. With a view to contributing to end their ordeals, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) to ask the Egyptian authorities to disclose their places of detention and to authorise their families and lawyers to visit them immediately.

Published in EGY - News

Alkarama strongly condemns the hateful comments against supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood made on 27 January 2016 by the Egyptian Minister of Justice, Ahmed Al Zind, commenting on the recent attacks in the Sinaï during a live interview at prime-time on Sada Al Balad TV. Concerned that his declaration may create a breeding ground for additional extrajudicial killings and other grave human rights abuses, Alkarama sent a letter to various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations asking them to publicly condemn the Minister's declarations.

Published in EGY - News

Alkarama welcomes the decision, recently made public, of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to consider reviewing the accreditation of the Egyptian National Human Rights Council (NCHR) at its second session in 2016. Alkarama, who had called on the SCA to take such a step in view of the apparent incompliance of the Egyptian NHRI with international standards, will take this opportunity to submit its own report on the work of the NCHR.

Published in EGY - News

On 22 November 2015, the detention of Hany Mohamed Hassanin Sharaf, founder of the Civilized Alternative Party and former Egyptian Air Force pilot, was renewed for 45 days pending investigations. While Hany's arrest appears to have been triggered by his political activism and in particular his work on the creation of a new opposition party, the military prosecution justified his detention by charging him with various trumped-up military crimes, using the pretext of his former occupation as an Air Force Pilot. Should Hany be found guilty before the Cairo Military Court, which postponed his trial to 17 January 2016, he risks to be sentenced to death without being given the possibility to fairly defend himself. In view of these facts, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), hoping this UN Special Procedure for the protection of human rights could help make him benefit from a fair trial, by ending his prosecution before the Military Court of Cairo, which lacks the necessary independence and impartiality to try civilians.

Published in EGY - News

Over two years after Egyptian General, Abdel Fattah El Sisi overthrew the government of former President Mohamed Morsi, the time has come for Egypt's newly elected Parliament to review the laws adopted by the executive over the past two years. Fully aware of the challenges ahead, Alkarama sent a letter to several United Nations Special Procedures on human rights calling upon them to issue a statement asking the new Egyptian House of Representatives to uphold its mandate under the 2014 Constitution by effectively reviewing all laws adopted since July 2013 and amending or revoking those deemed to infringe on Egypt's international obligations.

Published in EGY - News

Open letter to the following United Nations Special Procedures − Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to Freedom of opinion and expression (SR FRDX), Special Rapporteur against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (SRT), Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering Terrorism (SR TERROR), Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (SR FPAA), Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (SR HRDs), Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) − asking them to call upon the new Egyptian House of Representatives to uphold their mandate under the 2014 Constitution by reviewing all laws adopted by the executive in the absence of a House of Representatives and revoking or amending all laws deemed to violate Egypt's international human rights obligations.

Published in EGY - News

On 8 December 2015, the prison personnel of Tora prison violently repressed a hunger strike launched by several prisoners to protest the denial of their medication and the harshness of their conditions of detention, forcing the urgent hospitalisation of several of them. Among the hunger strikers was 22-year-old engineering student from Cairo University, Mahmoud Talaat Abdelhamid, who, although his foot was broken during the prison crackdown, was denied the right to see a doctor. Arrested on 30 June 2015, Mahmoud was secretly detained for the first two months of his detention, during which he experienced the worst forms of torture because of his alleged political affiliations. Now detained in Tora prison, Mahmoud remains at high risk of torture, which prompted Alkarama to send an urgent appeal on 15 December 2015 to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) in the hope that this UN Special Procedure could help guarantee his physical and mental health.

Published in EGY - News

On 21 October 2015, members of the Homeland Security, together with other law enforcement officers, raided the 6th of October City building where independent NGO Mada Foundation for Media Development has its offices, arresting the 51-year-old head of the foundation, Hisham Ahmed Awad Jafar. In view of the apparent arbitrary nature of his arrest, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (SR FRDX) with a view to freeing this journalist currently detained in Al Aqrab High Security Prison, known as "Egypt's very own Guantanamo". Denied the right to visit him, his relatives fear that he could be tortured while in solitary confinement and that his health could deteriorate due to poor conditions of detention in prison.

Published in EGY - News

On 17 November 2015, 18-year-old student Moaz Eid Abdelazim Ismael was sentenced to two years in prison for "demonstrating without authorisation," following a flawed trial. Arrested by members of the Security Forces in early July, Moaz was secretly detained for a week during which he was repeatedly tortured. Currently awaiting a new hearing before the public prosecution in the police station where he was tortured, Moaz remains at high risk of being ill-treated again. Fearing for his physical and mental integrity and in view of the risk that their son be sentenced in a new and unfair trial, they contacted Alkarama who, on 26 November 2015, sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) to ask the Egyptian authorities to release him immediately and drop all charges against.

Published in EGY - News

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