Arbitrary detention in Egypt has become a routine and very widespread affair, to the point that any person may be detained by administrative decision at ant time under the State of Emergency Law that governs the land. Alkarama for Human Rights has observed hundreds of cases of arbitrary detention over the past years, and has brought new cases of these violations to the attention of specialised UN bodies such as the Working Group for Arbitrary Detention.
Alkarama for Human Rights, 19 June 2007
Over the past two years, Alkarama for Human Rights has been asked to intervene in many hundreds of cases of arbitrary detention concerning Egyptian citizens detained in some cases since 1990 – that is, for more than 17 years – by virtue of the State of Emergency Law and by simple administrative decision.
Many cases have been, and continue to be, submitted by our organisation to the UN human rights protection bodies and in particular to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.