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Egypt: CFJ monitors violations against activists in third quarter 2024 bulletin under the “Justice for human rights defenders” project

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The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has issued its quarterly bulletin for the third quarter of 2024 as part of the “Justice for human rights defenders” project, detailing practices by Egyptian authorities that impact the working environment of human rights defenders in Egypt. The report sheds light on various legal and human rights violations that took place from July to September 2024.

The bulletin addresses legislative decisions that further restrict activists, highlighting a “catastrophic” proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Law by the legislative committee of the Egyptian Parliament. This amendment would grant security and judicial authorities more power to track opposition, posing a threat to the independence of defenders and increasing the risk of arbitrary arrests and politically motivated prosecutions.

 

  1. Ongoing violations of extended preventive detention:

CFJ had monitored the continued use of extended preventive detention affecting numerous activists, including lawyer Ibrahim Metwally, who has been detained since 2017 and is repeatedly cycled into new cases despite the legal expiration of his detention period. This practice is systematically used to deny activists their freedom, as detention renewals are issued without fair trial or final judgment.

 

  1. Deteriorating health of detained rights defenders:

The bulletin highlights the deteriorating health of several detained defenders, including lawyers Ahmed Nazeer Al-Hilou and Nabil Abu Shaikha. Al-Hilou’s family reported worsening health conditions, noting spinal issues and cartilage erosion leading to impaired leg mobility. Abu Shaikha also faces critical health issues that required hospital transfer for a cardiac stent procedure. Despite urgent medical needs, detainees continue to be denied appropriate healthcare.

 

  1. Persecution of labor rights defenders:

The third bulletin witnessed a wave of arrests involving ten workers from the Semanoud Textile Company, including labor leader Hisham Al-Banna, on charges related to strikes and protests. Although some were released, Al-Banna faced a ban on returning to work after his release, violating both labor and civil rights.

 

  1. Restrictions on family and humanitarian visits:

The bulletin outlines increased restrictions on family visits for activists, such as the case of lawyer Huda Abdel Moneim, who was denied visitation rights in Al-Ashar Prison despite her original sentence expiring. In another instance, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh refuses to receive visits in the “glass cabin,” which he described as a “glass tomb” that prevents direct human communication, adding to his years of suffering.

 

  1. Freedom of movement restrictions:

The bulletin also records the ongoing travel ban on researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy, who has been prevented from traveling abroad to continue his studies. The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression filed a legal appeal against this arbitrary restriction, yet authorities have not issued any formal justification for the ban.

 

  1. Continuing arbitrary arrests:

CFJ documented the arrests of activists Yahia Hussein Abdel Hadi and journalists Ashraf Omar and Khaled Mamdouh on charges of “terrorism” and “incitement,” without clear evidence, and they were detained in unknown locations before being presented to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, which ordered their preventive detention.

 

  1. Hunger strikes among detainees:

The bulletin includes instances of hunger strikes in protest of legal violations, such as activist Mohamed Adel’s strike in protest of his preventive detention not counting toward his sentence. Both Alaa Abdel Fattah and blogger Mohamed Oxygen also face deprivation of basic rights.

 

CFJ notes that its “Human Rights Defenders News Bulletin” continues to document abuses on a regular basis as part of an integrated project to monitor the rights of human rights defenders in Egypt. The Committee calls for increased awareness of these escalating issues, urging Egyptian authorities to uphold human rights standards and end practices that undermine civil society and negatively impact the human rights situation in Egypt.

For more information and media requests or inquiries, please get in touch with us (+41229403538 / media@cfjustice.org)

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