Press release
Geneva – August 6, 2024
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented severe human rights violations against Egyptian journalist Mohamed Atiya Ahmed Atiya El-Sayed, known as Mohamed El-Shaer, who has been held in pretrial detention for five years in connection with case No. 1480 of 2019.
In July, Egyptian authorities transferred El-Shaer to the New Valley Prison in southern Egypt, a facility notorious for its poor human rights record and located far from his family’s residence, making visits difficult.
El-Shaer was arrested on September 13, 2019, near his home in October City, Giza. Authorities confiscated his laptop and private vehicle and subjected him to enforced disappearance for three months, during which he was tortured.
CFJ condemns the ongoing human rights violations against Mohamed El-Shaer and calls for their immediate cessation. CFJ demands his transfer to a prison closer to his family and an end to the policy of “exile.”
Additionally, CFJ urges Egyptian authorities to release El-Shaer unconditionally, as his detention has exceeded the legal limit for pretrial detention under Egyptian law, which is two years.
