Press Release
The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) has documented the referral of Ahmed Nazir Al-Halou, a cassation lawyer and human rights defender, along with 119 others, to criminal trial by the Egyptian Supreme State Security Prosecution in case no. 1940 of 2022 (State Security Docket).
The prosecution has charged Al-Halou with crimes including “joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, spreading false information on social media, inciting protests, misusing social media platforms, and funding a terrorist organization.”
In a related development, Al-Halou’s wife submitted a complaint to the Egyptian Public Prosecutor, highlighting the severe deterioration of his health in detention. She pointed to extreme medical negligence, noting that he has developed paralysis and lost the ability to move, urging his release on medical grounds so he can receive necessary treatment.
In her complaint, Al-Halou’s wife detailed that his health has significantly worsened due to disc issues requiring urgent surgery, in addition to chronic stomach ulcers and numbness in his toes caused by diabetes. She confirmed that authorities have failed to provide adequate medical care since his arrest on November 7, 2022, during which he was forcibly disappeared before appearing before the State Security Prosecution.
CFJ expresses rejection of the arbitrary measures taken against Ahmed Al-Halou, emphasizing that these practices violate his basic rights and exacerbate his deteriorating health.
CFJ calls for his immediate release and the provision of necessary medical care, as well as ensuring detention conditions that meet humanitarian and legal standards. The committee also stresses the need to end the ongoing violations faced by human rights defenders in Egypt and holds the Egyptian authorities responsible for Al-Halou’s deteriorating health amid the almost complete lack of healthcare in prisons and detention centers across the country.