News briefing
Translated and edited by: CFJ
Geneva: 18 June 2023
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the transfer of Egyptian lawyer and human rights defender Ali Abbas Barakat, who has been in pretrial detention since December 2016, to Badr Prison Hospital due to a severe deterioration in his health. His wife has reported that he suffered a complete hepatic coma as a result of his deteriorating health condition caused by an infection with Hepatitis C.
· Placed in multiple cases and detention recycling:
CFJ has indicated that the human rights lawyer, Ali Abbas Barakat, has been in detention since his arrest in December 2016 in Menoufia. Several verdicts were issued against him in multiple cases, but he appealed all the verdicts and his appeals were accepted, resulting in his acquittal. The latest verdict in his favor was issued in May 2022.
Following Barakat’s recent acquittal, he was transferred from Wadi El Natrun Annex Prison on June 17, 2022, to Bandar Shibin Al-Kom Police Station, and then to Menouf Police Station in preparation for his release. However, his family was surprised by his return to Shibin Al-Kom Police Station, where he disappeared again since being brought back to the station on June 22, 2022. He reappeared at the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo on July 7, 2022, under case number 670 of 2022, where he was accused of joining a terrorist group.
· Call to stop targeting human rights defenders:
CFJ condemns the violations against the Egyptian lawyer and human rights defender, Ali Abbas Barakat, which have put his life at risk – a risk that still persists – due to the deliberate medical negligence by the prison administration. CFJ demands his release on medical grounds, considering his severe deteriorating health condition.
The organization also urges the Egyptian authorities to cease the policy of targeting human rights defenders, as evidenced by the situation of Barakat, who has been placed in multiple cases and subjected to “detention recycling” after his recent acquittal. This call is made in light of his human rights work in defending prisoners of conscience.
