Articles for Egypt

Despite documenting an increasing number of cases of enforced disappearances in the hands of all kinds of government forces in the country, the international community has continuously failed to address this issue with the Egyptian government.

Alkarama calls upon the Egyptian authorities to revoke the procedure launched on 17 February 2016 to close the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture. Founded in 1993, the Nadeem Center is a well-known Egyptian clinic that has provided professional council and assistance to thousands of victims of torture and other forms of violence since its creation.

A 48-year-old lawyer and member of liberal political party Al Dostour, Raafat Faisal Ali Shehata − also known as Ahsraf Shehata − disappeared in the hands of the Egyptian Homeland Security more than two years ago, on 13 January 2014. While the authorities continue to deny his detention claiming that Ashraf left Egypt, his wife was told by several former detainees or families of detainees that he was effectively detained.

In early February 2016, the Homeland Security arrested another two young men for no apparent reason. 25-year-old real-estate agent, Abo Obida Sayed Mahmoud Abdelhameed and 28-year-old imam, Islam Ibrahim Eltohamy Ibrahim have both been missing since, and despite having solicited various official bodies, their respective families remain unaware of their fates and whereabouts.

On 7 February 2016, teachers Medhat Mohamed Bahi Aldin Ahmed Abdelhameed and Magdy Hassan Amer Hassan disappeared following their arrest by the Egyptian police from Medhat's apartment in Giza. Despite having solicited various official bodies to establish their fates and whereabouts, their respective families, blissfully unaware of the reasons for their arrests, were met with a wall of silence.

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.

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.

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 (

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.

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.