The Committee for Justice (CFJ) stated that the ongoing extrajudicial killings and the rising number of deaths inside detention facilities and prisons in Egypt, as a result of deliberate medical neglect or poor detention conditions, which have become a systematic policy of Egyptian security agencies since the events of 2013, are a warning sign indicating the deepening human rights crisis in the country. Excessive force and medical neglect are being used as tools of punishment and repression against detainees and opponents of the authorities in general, whether in unofficial detention sites or within formal prisons.
This follows the committee’s monitoring of shocking details surrounding the killing of two young men, Youssef Al-Sarhani and Farg Ribaash Al-Fazari, outside the law in the Matrouh Governorate on Friday, April 11th. This occurred after Sheikh Nasrallah Jameel Abdel Rasoul Al-Qatani, a tribal leader from Matrouh, issued a distress call revealing blatant human rights violations committed against the victims.
According to Al-Qatani’s statement, the two young men were handed over to Major Adel Al-Shimi, Director of the National Security Office in Salloum, at the village of Abu Zreiba (30 km west of Salloum) for questioning regarding unconfirmed suspicions of their involvement in the “Al-Najila” incident—which resulted in the deaths of four security personnel during a chase of a wanted drug dealer—but the shocking surprise was their cold-blooded execution shortly after being taken into custody, without trial or any regard for the law or humanity.
When Al-Qatani inquired about their fate, Major Al-Shimi responded indifferently, according to his account: “It is beyond my control; I handed them over to officers from the ministry,” confirming the involvement of high-ranking security agencies in the extrajudicial execution.
Following this, Al-Qatani issued a distress call to the sheikhs, leaders, members of parliament, and youth of the Matrouh tribes and all of Egypt, saying: “Is this the trust? Is this the state? Have the lives of our youth become so easily expendable?! I appeal to all honorable people to stand with me—not just for my sake, but for justice, so that this injustice does not repeat itself.”
For its part, the “Justice Committee” emphasizes that this incident is part of a systematic policy by the Egyptian Interior Ministry to eliminate opponents or suspects without trial, particularly in remote areas like Matrouh, where security agencies deliberately impose media blackouts and withhold the truth.
The CFJ also notes that the victims posed no threat at the time of their arrest, and their families were not officially informed about the circumstances of their killing. Moreover, there has been no clear judicial action to hold those responsible accountable.
It should be noted that extrajudicial executions are neither surprising nor new to the Egyptian security apparatus, which has been given the “green light” by political leadership to act as it pleases against opponents and political rivals since the escalation of events in 2013, following the ousting of the then democratically elected civilian president, Mohamed Morsi. An example of this is Operation “Searly,” launched in 2021, ostensibly to combat terrorism and secure the western borders, which witnessed a notable increase in human rights violations.
According to credible reports published with contributions from the “Justice Committee,” this operation did not target only criminal or terrorist elements but was also used as a cover for settling political scores with tribes and regions classified as “suspect.”
The CFJ has also documented multiple cases of individuals from the Matrouh and Western Desert tribes being executed without any judicial investigation or legal basis, with extrajudicial executions carried out under the pretext of “exchanging fire” or “armed resistance.” These operations lack clear evidence and leave the victims’ families without any recourse for accountability or compensation.
Therefore, the “Justice Committee” demands the formation of an independent investigative committee by the United Nations Human Rights Council or an accredited mechanism to examine extrajudicial killings and summary executions that occurred in Egypt between 2014 and 2019, as well as deaths inside police stations and detention facilities, and torture by the Interior Ministry from 2013 to the present. This is because the Egyptian judicial system is not independent and cannot be relied upon to conduct transparent and impartial investigations into such cases.
The CFJ also calls for the return of the victims’ bodies to their families for proper burial in accordance with prevailing customs and urges Egyptian authorities to halt the policy of extrajudicial executions and adhere to internationally recognized rules of engagement.