The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented that Egyptian authorities arrested activist and poet Ahmed Douma from his home in the early hours of Tuesday, approximately two and a half years after his release under a presidential pardon issued in August 2023. The incident reflects the continued pattern of security harassment targeting activists previously included in presidential pardon decisions.
According to CFJ, Douma was brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution for investigation hours after his arrest, where he was charged with spreading false news, statements, and rumors inside and outside the country. The prosecution later ordered his release on bail of EGP 100,000.
This incident follows a recurrent pattern, as Douma faced the same charge in September, at which time he was also released on bail of EGP 50,000. Additionally, he was questioned five times throughout 2025 in connection with social media posts, indicating the repeated use of identical accusations to justify summonses and ongoing security pressure.
Ahmed Douma spent nearly ten years in Egyptian prisons after being sentenced to 25 years in prison, a sentence later reduced to 15 years, in the Cabinet Clashes case. He was ultimately released as part of the presidential pardon decisions reactivated in 2022, which authorities promoted as a step toward improving the human rights situation in the country.
The Committee for Justice believes that the repeated arrest and investigation of Douma, despite his inclusion in a presidential pardon, effectively undermines the substance of these decisions, transforming them into temporary releases followed by sustained harassment and surveillance. Such practices constitute a violation of his right to liberty and personal security, as well as the principle of legal certainty.
CFJ calls for an immediate end to all forms of security harassment against Ahmed Douma and others released under presidential pardons, for respecting pardon decisions as binding legal and political commitments, and for halting the use of vague and overly broad charges as a tool to restrict freedom of expression and public engagement.
