Skip to content

Egypt: CFJ Reports Arrest and Disappearance of Activist “Rivaldo,” Demands Clarification of His Fate and Immediate Release

Less than 1 minute Reading Time: Minutes

The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) has documented the arrest of Mohamed Ahmed Allam, also known as “Rivaldo,” by Egyptian authorities on Saturday, January 10, 2025, one day after he released a video exposing the National Security Agency’s pursuit of him due to his political opposition to the current Egyptian government.

Despite several days having passed since his arrest, “Rivaldo” has not been presented to any official investigative body to date, raising concerns about his fate and intensifying fears for his safety amid the absence of any official information regarding his place of detention.

This is not the first time “Rivaldo” has faced such actions. In November 2022, his family home was raided in an attempt to arrest his politically active brother, Youssef Ri’oo, who was not present at the time.

During that raid, “Rivaldo’s” phone was searched, revealing a satirical video he had recorded with friends about the November 11 protests. He was forced to delete the video and record another video denouncing the calls for demonstrations. Following this, he was arrested and held for a short period before being released in May 2023.

In August 2024, his younger brother “Youssef” was arrested and has since been held in pretrial detention, prompting “Rivaldo” to openly criticize the National Security Agency and Egyptian authorities for detaining his brother without trial.

CFJ denounces these arbitrary measures and the detention of “Rivaldo” and many of his family members due to their opposition to the Egyptian authorities. The committee stresses that such actions constitute a violation of freedom of expression and demands clarification of “Rivaldo’s” fate, along with his and his brother’s release, holding the authorities responsible for ensuring their safety.

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

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Be the first to get our latest Publication