Articles for Egypt

As the Egyptian authorities are under heavy criticism from rights groups and UN experts due to widespread violations of fundamental rights, on 7 June 2017, six students saw their death sentences upheld by the Court of Cassation in the “Mansoura Guard Killing Case”, after a seriously flawed trial solely based on coerced statements obtained under brutal torture. Should the death sentences be carried out, their execution would be summary and constitute a severe violation of Egypt’s human rights obligations.

Dr Hanane Baderraddine Abdalhafez Othman, a doctor in biology and human rights defender, was arrested on 6 May 2017 by members of the National Security Services at the Al Qanater Al Khayriyah Prison, where she went to inquire about the fate and whereabouts of her disappeared husband. This women, who is also very active in providing assistance and support to other women whose relatives were victims of enforced disappearance, was charged with “belonging to a banned group” and “forming a women’s organisation”.

On 12 May 2017, Alkarama sent urgent appeals to the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression (SRFRDX) and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) concerning the situation of the nine journalists prosecuted in the “Raba’a Operations Room” mass trial.

On 9 May 2017, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) concerning Khaled Saad Saad Abdallah , a 21-year-old student at the Faculty of Commerce of the Al Azhar University of Cairo, who was abducted on 24 April 2017 at home by members of the Police and National Security Forces.

On 25 April 2017, Alkarama sent a communication to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (SRSUMEX) concerning executions which have taken place across Egypt over the past years. These cases of three young students – including a child and a woman – as well as a religious scholar, are only a few out of the hundreds of summary executions carried out by various security forces in Egypt.

On 27 April 2017, Alkarama sent urgent appeals to the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression (SRFRDX) and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) concerning the case of ten individuals, including nine journalists prosecuted in the “Raba’a Operations Room” mass trial. In December 2015, their first sentence was quashed by the Court of Cassation and a new decision will be taken on 8 May 2017.

On 21 April 2017, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders (SRHRD) and the Special Rapporteur on torture (SRT) requesting them to act urgently concerning the case of 56-year-old human rights activist Dr Ahmed Shawky Abdelsattar Mohamed Amasha, who was abducted on 10 March 2017 at a police checkpoint in Cairo and who remained disapp

On 20 March 2017, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) concerning Mohamed Mohamed Al Morsy Al Sayad, a 55-year-old Egyptian teacher who was abducted on 13 March 2017 at home by members of the Police Forces and National Security.

13 March 2017, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) concerning Dr Ahmed Shawky Abdelsatar Amasha, a 56-year-old Egyptian human rights activist who was arrested on 10 March 2017 at a police checkpoint in Nasr City, in Cairo.

On 8 February 2017, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) concerning the case of Yousri Kamal Mohamed Abdallah, a 30-year-old Egyptian activist who was arrested on 22 December 2016 by members of the National Security Forces. To date, and despite the numerous letters and requests introduced by his father to the authorities, the latter still refuse to disclose his fate and whereabouts.