Geneva – Committee for Justice (CFJ)
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) is pleased to present a summary of its principal activities and achievements during the second quarter of 2026 (April–June), as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor and document human rights violations, promote accountability, and support victims and human rights defenders across North Africa and the Sahel region.
During the reporting period, CFJ monitored and documented 1,099 human rights violations and incidents across seven countries: Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. The Committee also published more than 209 statements, news items, and human rights reports in Arabic, English, and French, with the aim of enhancing access to verified information and bringing documented violations to the attention of the public and relevant international mechanisms.
As part of its efforts to protect civic space and freedom of association, CFJ documented a number of restrictive measures targeting civil society organizations and human rights defenders in Tunisia and Algeria, while also monitoring cases of judicial harassment and legal persecution directed against human rights actors and independent members of the judiciary.
The Committee further intensified its work in monitoring unfair trials in Egypt, documenting 240 court hearings and tracking 50 newly scheduled cases, in addition to monitoring judicial rulings in a number of human rights and politically sensitive cases. These efforts contribute to strengthening independent legal monitoring and documentation initiatives.
In the field of strategic litigation and engagement with international accountability mechanisms, CFJ submitted complaints and legal briefs to various United Nations and African human rights mechanisms, contributing to progress in several significant cases. These efforts included following up on the case pending before the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child against the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as participating in the complaint that resulted in the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issuing an opinion concerning Dr. Abdel Khaleq Farouk, concluding that his detention was arbitrary and calling for his immediate release and compensation.
CFJ also actively engaged with the United Nations Human Rights Council during its 61st and 62nd Sessions through oral statements and written submissions addressing the human rights situations in Sudan, Egypt, and Libya, as well as issues related to torture and counter-terrorism measures. In addition, the Committee organized side events and consultations aimed at strengthening the participation of civil society organizations—particularly Sudanese organizations—in international protection and accountability processes.
As part of its engagement with the African human rights system, CFJ led and coordinated a series of activities during the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul. These initiatives included meetings and side events focusing on the situation in Sudan, the protection of human rights defenders, judicial independence, and the rule of law, while also contributing to the adoption of human rights resolutions and initiatives concerning Libya and the protection of Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons.
At the capacity-building level, the Committee implemented specialized training programmes in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It also launched two new online courses through its training platform, covering United Nations Special Procedures and enforced disappearance mechanisms, with the objective of strengthening the skills and expertise of human rights defenders and practitioners engaged in documentation and advocacy.
CFJ further contributed to various United Nations calls for input by preparing and submitting specialized reports and written contributions addressing the safety of journalists, the use of counter-terrorism measures, and the impact of enforced disappearances, in addition to producing country briefings and shadow reports on human rights developments in a number of countries across the region.
The Committee for Justice reaffirms its commitment to supporting victims and human rights defenders, advancing access to justice, documenting violations in accordance with international standards, and working alongside United Nations and African human rights mechanisms and civil society partners to combat impunity and promote respect for human rights and the rule of law.
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