Alkarama has urgently submitted to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) the case of Mahmoud Fathi, an Egyptian national, and his wife Huda Anwar, who have been missing since they were abducted in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on 19 July 2026.
The couple had travelled to Libya and had been staying there for approximately one week without encountering any particular difficulties. They were staying at Al Tawfiq Hotel, in the Al Dhahra district of Tripoli, where they were abducted on the evening of 19 July 2026 by individuals who did not identify themselves. According to several consistent testimonies subsequently gathered by the family, those responsible for their abduction were reportedly affiliated with the Libyan intelligence services, which were then headed by Hussein al-Ayeb.
An Egyptian opposition figure sentenced to death in absentia
Mahmoud Fathi, an Egyptian engineer and political activist, is a prominent figure of the Egyptian opposition and president of the Egyptian opposition political party “Al Fadyla”. He had been sentenced to death in absentia in Egypt on account of his political activities against the authorities.
Silence from the Libyan authorities
Since their abduction, the Libyan authorities have provided their relatives with no information concerning their fate or whereabouts. Likewise, efforts undertaken by their children with the Turkish diplomatic authorities to obtain information about their situation and clarify their fate have yielded no results.
The circumstances of their abduction, the absence of any information concerning their fate, and the testimonies gathered have raised fears that they may be held incommunicado and exposed to serious violations of their fundamental rights. At the very least, the complete lack of information regarding their place of detention and physical condition constitutes serious cause for concern for their safety and physical integrity.
It is in these circumstances that Alkarama addressed the Working Group, asking it to intervene urgently with the Libyan authorities to shed full light on the fate of Mahmoud Fathi and Huda Anwar, establish the circumstances of their abduction and disappearance, and inform their family of their situation.
Alkarama urges the Libyan authorities to take without delay all necessary measures to determine the whereabouts of the two spouses, guarantee their safety and physical integrity, and ensure that they are protected against any form of torture or ill-treatment.