Press Release
The Executive Director of the Committee for Justice (CFJ), Ahmed Mefreh, participated today, Wednesday, November 13, in a preparatory meeting of organizations held in anticipation of the 100th session of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, scheduled to be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
This preparatory meeting gathered representatives from non-governmental organizations and international human rights experts in a session focused on promoting the right to equal protection under the law without discrimination and addressing the increasing challenges surrounding arbitrary detention cases.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of CFJ expressed gratitude to the Working Group for its efforts to address issues of arbitrary detention and defend the rights of individuals unjustly detained. He highlighted the importance of the Working Group’s recent report on the proposed Criminal Procedure Law in Egypt, noting that the report brought significant attention to serious human rights violations in the country, particularly concerning the use of arbitrary detention to silence dissenting voices.
Mefreh emphasized that Egypt is witnessing a rise in arbitrary detention practices targeting the rights of human rights defenders, journalists, political activists, and even ordinary citizens. He noted that measures like “prolonged pretrial detention” and “case rotation” are used as tools to suppress opposition and limit fundamental freedoms.
He further affirmed the Committee for Justice’s commitment to implementing the Working Group’s recommendations and working toward tangible change through several effective steps, including:
Enhancing Civil Society Support: The committee aims to strengthen ties with civil society organizations, lawyers, and families of detainees to raise awareness, provide support, and monitor fair trial guarantees for detainees.
Promoting Transparency: The committee collaborates with legal institutions to enhance transparency, especially in national security-related cases, ensuring that detention practices are closely monitored.
Pressing for Accountability: The committee will continue its calls for regional and international bodies to pressure Egypt and North African countries to honor their human rights commitments and to end unlawful detention practices.
Mefreh urged the Working Group to offer guidance on how to strengthen the impact of these recommendations on the Egyptian authorities. He suggested closer collaboration with regional and international organizations to maintain pressure on the Egyptian authorities to comply with fair trial standards. He also questioned effective ways to monitor the impact of the Working Group’s recommendations on the Egyptian judicial system, particularly regarding reducing prolonged pretrial detention and “case rotation.”
In closing his remarks, the Executive Director of CFJ, Ahmed Mefreh, expressed his deep appreciation for the role of the Working Group, reaffirming the committee’s commitment to working closely with the group to ensure respect for human rights and to put an end to arbitrary detention practices in Egypt and North Africa.
