Committee for Justice Raises Concerns Over Children in Detention, Torture, Enforced Disappearance, Unfair Trials, and Religious Discrimination
Maseru, Lesotho | 15 October 2026
Committee for Justice (CFJ) participated in the review of Egypt’s implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, conducted by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) during its 48th Ordinary Session in Maseru, Lesotho.
The review marks a significant moment in Egypt’s engagement with the African children’s rights system, taking place nearly 18 years after the Committee last examined Egypt’s initial report during its 12th Ordinary Session in November 2008.
The current examination of Egypt’s first periodic report provides an important opportunity to assess the country’s compliance with its obligations under the African Children’s Charter, particularly regarding the protection of children deprived of liberty, juvenile justice, and discrimination against children belonging to religious minorities.
As part of its participation, CFJ presented documented information, legal concerns, and questions concerning serious violations affecting children in Egypt.
The issues raised focused on two principal areas: violations against children within Egypt’s detention and criminal justice systems, and discrimination affecting Bahá’í children and their families.
Children in Detention: Serious Violations and Persistent Accountability Gaps
CFJ highlighted documented cases and allegations involving arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, coercive interrogations, solitary confinement, detention alongside adults, and violations of children’s fair trial guarantees.
The organization expressed particular concern over the continued application of Article 122(2) of Egypt’s Child Law, which permits children over the age of 15 to be tried before adult courts under certain circumstances when charged alongside adult defendants.
This exception raises serious concerns regarding Egypt’s compliance with Article 17 of the African Children’s Charter and international standards requiring specialized juvenile justice procedures.
CFJ presented several cases illustrating these concerns.
The case of Bahaa El-Din Khalil: According to documented information, Bahaa El-Din was arrested in September 2024 at the age of 16 and reportedly subjected to more than three months of undisclosed detention, alleged torture, and detention alongside adults.
In April 2026, the ACERWC declared the communication concerning his case admissible, allowing its examination to proceed. The admissibility decision did not determine the merits of the allegations.
CFJ called for clarification of his whereabouts during the period of alleged enforced disappearance and information concerning independent investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment.
The “Joker Case” (State Security Case No. 195 of 2021): CFJ documented the arrest of 48 children in connection with this case, including 28 children who were subsequently referred to an Emergency State Security Criminal Court alongside adult defendants.
The organization questioned the legal basis for prosecuting children before exceptional criminal courts and called for information concerning the outcomes of proceedings, available remedies, and safeguards protecting children’s rights.
The Al-Marg Children’s Correctional Institution fire: CFJ also raised the 2021 fire at the Al-Marg facility, which resulted in the deaths of six children and injuries to 25 others.
The organization requested disclosure of the findings of investigations into the incident, information concerning accountability measures, and guarantees of independent monitoring of institutions where children are deprived of liberty.
Beyond these individual cases, CFJ called on Egypt to provide disaggregated information concerning children arrested or detained since 2021, allegations of torture and enforced disappearance, the duration of pretrial detention, and access to legal representation, family contact, medical care, and effective complaints mechanisms.
CFJ emphasized that protecting children requires more than legislative guarantees. It demands independent oversight, effective investigations, access to remedies, and concrete measures to prevent recurrence.
Discrimination Against Bahá’í Children: Legal Identity, Education, and Family Rights
CFJ also raised concerns regarding the continuing legal and administrative difficulties experienced by Bahá’í families in Egypt and their consequences for children’s fundamental rights.
The organization highlighted the absence of a generally accessible administrative mechanism for recognizing Bahá’í marriages and the potential consequences for birth registration, legal identity, nationality documentation, inheritance, education, and access to essential public services.
Particular attention was given to the 27 January 2026 judgment of Egypt’s Court of Cassation, which reversed a judicial decision recognizing the marriage of a Bahá’í couple.
CFJ raised concerns about the implications of this judgment for other Bahá’í families and children whose legal status may be affected by the non-recognition of their parents’ marriages.
The organization also highlighted reported administrative changes to previously recognized marital status records and the obstacles some Bahá’í families face in obtaining computerized birth certificates and other official documentation.
These difficulties can have direct consequences for children’s access to education, health services, and legal protection.
CFJ referred to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ 2016 decision in Hossam Ezzat and Rania Enayet v. Egypt, which addressed the recognition of Bahá’í marriages, as well as concerns raised by UN human rights mechanisms regarding discrimination against religious minorities.
CFJ called on Egypt to establish effective administrative safeguards ensuring that children are not denied fundamental rights because of their parents’ religion or marital status.
The organization stressed that the right to legal identity, birth registration, education, and protection from discrimination must be guaranteed to every child, irrespective of religious belief or family circumstances.
Egyptian Delegation’s Responses: Legal Provisions Instead of Concrete Accountability
CFJ expressed disappointment with the Egyptian delegation’s responses during the review.
According to CFJ’s assessment of the proceedings, the delegation relied extensively on descriptions of domestic legislation, legal provisions, and institutional procedures without adequately addressing several substantive questions concerning documented violations and their practical consequences.
In particular, CFJ considered that the delegation failed to provide sufficiently clear and detailed answers regarding allegations of torture and enforced disappearance of children, accountability for violations in detention facilities, the prosecution of children before adult or exceptional courts, and discrimination affecting Bahá’í children.
The organization emphasized that the existence of legal protections cannot, in itself, demonstrate compliance with international and regional human rights obligations.
Effective implementation, independent investigations, transparent data, accountability, and access to remedies are essential indicators of genuine compliance with the African Children’s Charter.
CFJ also expressed concern that the approach adopted by the Egyptian delegation reflected a broader pattern observed during other international and regional human rights reviews, in which extensive references to legislation are not accompanied by sufficiently concrete responses to allegations of violations or questions concerning accountability.
The organization called on the Egyptian authorities to engage constructively with the Committee’s questions and recommendations, provide verifiable information, and establish measurable commitments to improve children’s rights protections.
Strengthening Independent Civil Society Engagement With African Human Rights Mechanisms
CFJ welcomed the opportunity to participate in the review alongside independent civil society organizations and African human rights defenders.
The organization’s participation reflects a broader commitment to strengthening cooperation with African human rights institutions and ensuring that independent civil society contributes meaningfully to regional accountability processes.
Ahmed Mefreh, Executive Director of Committee for Justice, stated:
“This review comes nearly eighteen years after Egypt’s previous examination before the Committee. It is an important opportunity to move beyond the language of legislation and examine the actual conditions experienced by children, particularly those deprived of liberty or subjected to discrimination.Unfortunately, what we witnessed from the Egyptian delegation was a familiar approach: lengthy presentations of laws and legal provisions, but insufficient answers to the questions that matter most — what happened to these children, who is responsible, what investigations have been conducted, and what measures have been taken to prevent further violations?We were determined to participate in this important review and ensure that the realities facing children in Egypt were brought before the Committee.Our participation reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening children’s rights protection across North Africa and the Sahel as an integral part of CFJ’s work.We firmly believe that protecting children’s rights is a shared African responsibility and that meaningful accountability begins when institutions move beyond laws on paper and confront the realities experienced by children whose rights, dignity, and futures are at stake.”
CFJ Calls for Concrete Reforms and Continued Regional Engagement
Following the review, Committee for Justice called on the Egyptian authorities to:
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End violations against children in detention, including torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and solitary confinement, and ensure independent investigations into all credible allegations.
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Reform the juvenile justice system, including amending Article 122(2) of the Child Law to prevent children from being prosecuted before adult courts and strengthening alternatives to detention.
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Guarantee independent monitoring of detention facilities, effective access to legal counsel, family contact, medical care, and child-sensitive complaints mechanisms.
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Ensure accountability for serious incidents involving detained children, including publication of the findings of investigations into the 2021 Al-Marg fire.
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Eliminate discrimination against Bahá’í children, including administrative obstacles affecting birth registration, legal identity, education, and access to public services.
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Provide the ACERWC with reliable, disaggregated information and measurable commitments, including clear implementation timelines and mechanisms for monitoring progress.
CFJ further encouraged the ACERWC to ensure sustained follow-up on Egypt’s implementation of its obligations under the African Children’s Charter and to maintain meaningful engagement with independent civil society organizations.
The organization reaffirmed its intention to expand its work with African children’s rights mechanisms, particularly concerning detention, juvenile justice, discrimination, and access to remedies in North Africa and the Sahel.
Committee for Justice believes that this long-overdue review must become a starting point for sustained scrutiny, institutional reform, and meaningful accountability ensuring that the rights and dignity of every child are protected in practice, not merely guaranteed in law.
