The Committee for Justice has released its quarterly bulletin as part of its “Justice for Human Rights Defenders” project, monitoring violations against human rights defenders in Egypt for the first quarter of 2024 (from January to March). The bulletin included documentation of violations by Egyptian authorities against human rights defenders, ranging from death in detention facilities, arbitrary detention, prolonged pre-trial detention, unfair trials, to defamation and smear of human rights defenders.
Death in custody:
The bulletin documented the death of the rights lawyer, Mohamed El-Sherbiny (58 years old), who had been held in pretrial detention for two years at one of the facilities in the new Badr prison complex, where he was subjected to deliberate medical neglect while suffering from cancer, and was denied access to his medications.
Arbitary detention:
The bulletin also reported the ongoing arbitrary detention of several rights defenders, including rights lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim, student Moaz Al-Sharqawi, and lawyer and human rights defender Osama Bayoumi.
Prolonged pre-trial detention:
The bulletin also recorded ongoing pretrial detentions exceeding two years for 12 Egyptian human rights defenders. Notable among them are lawyer Ibrahim Metwally, a founder of the Association of Families of the Forcibly Disappeared; translator and rights activist Marwa Arafa; and Dr. Ahmed Amasha, a veterinary doctor, unionist, environmental activist, and founder of the Association of Families of the Forcibly Disappeared, among others.
Unfair Trials:
The bulletin addressed the conclusion of Case No. 173 of 2011, known as the “NGOs Case,” which lasted for over 13 years, significantly impacting Egyptian human rights activity by draining the resources of civil society and diverting its defenders’ efforts from their rights work to defending themselves.
Defamation and smear of human rights defenders:
Regarding defamation and smear, the bulletin highlighted the targeting of the executive director of the Sinai Human Rights Foundation, Ahmed Salem, following the foundation’s publication in February 2024 of a report discussing the rapid construction activities by the Egyptian authorities to establish a fortified security area with walls at the Egyptian borders with Gaza and Israel in North Sinai, in anticipation of a possible mass displacement due to the violent conflict. The report, based on witness accounts, photos, and videos, indicates serious signals of Egypt’s preparedness to potentially accommodate the displacement of Gaza’s population to Sinai, in coordination with Israel and the United States; according to the report, which received extensive coverage from major global news agencies and newspapers.
