The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) will organize a side event on the sidelines of the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in cooperation with several civil society organizations concerned with Egyptian affairs. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Room XXV at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, under the title: “Egypt: The Price of Silence – Testimonies on the Human Cost of Inaction in Addressing Egypt’s Human Rights Crisis.”
In its promotional material for the event, CFJ stated that it comes in light of an unprecedented deterioration in the human rights situation in Egypt, where the country is witnessing widespread systematic violations of fundamental rights amid the current regime’s reinforcement of repressive policies and silencing of dissent.
The event will also highlight the catastrophic consequences of failing to address this crisis, which could lead to social and political upheaval in the near future.
The event will feature participation from several activists, family members of political prisoners, and representatives of international and local human rights organizations. They will discuss the challenges facing human rights defenders in Egypt and the role of the international community in supporting accountability and justice efforts.
Speakers at the event include:
- A family member of detained economist Abdel Khalek Farouk.
- A family member of detained political activist Mohamed Adel.
- Peter Greste, a journalist on hunger strike in solidarity with Alaa Abdel Fattah (via video link).
- Hisham Kassem, an Egyptian politician and publisher.
- Noha Kassem, founder and president of the “Sakina” Association for Mental Health and Psychological Support, and wife of political prisoner Mahmoud Abdel Mou’men.
- Samer Al-Husseini, representing the Egyptian Forum for Human Rights.
- Jeremy Smith, representing the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies.
The event will be moderated by Ahmed Mefreh, a representative of CFJ. Several prominent human rights organizations are co-sponsoring the event, including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, the Egyptian Forum for Human Rights, the Ankh Association, the Egyptian Network for Human Rights, the Law and Democracy Support Foundation, and the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights.
The event aims to draw the international community’s attention to the urgent need for immediate action to address Egypt’s human rights crisis and to support civil society actors and defenders of fundamental rights.