The Committee for Justice (CFJ) stated that, on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, it calls on the Egyptian authorities to take serious steps to address the phenomenon of systematic torture within detention facilities. Torture is not merely a violation of individual rights; it constitutes a threat to the security of society as a whole, as it entrenches a climate of fear and weakens citizens’ trust in the system, undermining its legitimacy at both the local and international levels.
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed annually on June 26, commemorating the entry into force of the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1987 — a key instrument in the global fight against this crime. The Convention defines torture as any act that intentionally inflicts severe physical or psychological pain or suffering for purposes such as extracting information, punishment, or intimidation, carried out by or with the acquiescence of a public official.
From a legislative standpoint, Article (52) of Egypt’s 2014 Constitution states that “torture in all its forms is a crime that is not subject to statute of limitations.” Article (99) affirms the right to directly file complaints about violations of personal rights and guarantees fair compensation for victims. However, these constitutional provisions narrowly define torture only as acts committed for the purpose of extracting confessions. As a result, many acts of torture carried out for other reasons—such as punishment, humiliation, or discrimination—may not be considered criminal under current legislation. Egypt lacks a unified, comprehensive legal definition of torture consistent with international standards.
Moreover, actual practices remain far from aligning with constitutional texts. Security and law enforcement agencies continue to engage in systematic torture in prisons and various places of detention, including National Security facilities where individuals are held for days or even years without trial. This highlights a significant gap between the legal framework and real-world practices.
On May 16, 2025, the United Nations Committee against Torture issued a follow-up report assessing Egypt’s implementation of recommendations made following the review of its fifth periodic report in November 2023. The report concluded that Egypt had made no tangible progress in implementing the three main recommendations related to counter-terrorism laws and the state of emergency. Despite the formal end of the State of Emergency in 2021, authorities continue to enforce laws granting broad powers to security agencies, including the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Law on Terrorist Entities.
The report also noted that the new draft Criminal Procedures Law failed to address violations of defendants’ rights and instead exacerbated them, lacking substantive measures to resolve these issues. Detention conditions remain dire, with prisoners continuing to suffer from overcrowding, poor sanitation, lack of food, inadequate healthcare, and insufficient ventilation.
The report further highlighted the excessive use of pre-trial detention—particularly in political cases—as a tool to keep opponents imprisoned without trial. The committee also criticized the discriminatory application of amnesty decisions, under which those convicted of criminal offenses are often released, while political detainees remain detained without legal justification.
The Committee expressed concern over the expanded use of the death penalty to include political and drug-related cases, violating international standards that limit its application to the most serious crimes. Egypt has not undertaken any legislative reforms to regulate or abolish the death penalty, nor has it joined international efforts aimed at its abolition. In conclusion, the report regretted the absence of clear plans or detailed information from the Egyptian authorities regarding the implementation of recommendations, reflecting a lack of political will to seriously address international concerns and weakening Egypt’s commitment to global human rights standards.
During the first half of 2025 alone, the CFJ documented three deaths of detainees resulting from torture inside Egyptian detention centers. Mohamed Hassan Helal (32 years old) died at Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital in Cairo after being transferred from “Badr 3” prison in critical condition, raising strong suspicions that he was subjected to lethal torture or a systematic physical elimination within his place of detention.
In another case from the Al-Khalifa district in Cairo, Mahmoud Muhammad Asaad, known as “Mahmoud Mika,” died, with his family confirming visible signs of torture on his body, including deep wounds, severe bruises on the back resembling beating with a hose-like object, and marks of tight binding around the neck, hands, and feet, along with multiple bruises across his body.
Additionally, the CFJ documented the death of Abdurrahman Muhammad Hassan inside the police station of Sayeda Zeinab on Monday, May 19, 2025, just hours after his arrest, with indications strongly pointing toward torture leading to his death.
The CFJ calls upon the Egyptian authorities to amend national legislation to align with Egypt’s international commitments, including the Convention against Torture, and to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which allows independent international experts to conduct regular visits to places of detention to assess conditions and provide recommendations for improvement.
The committee further stresses the urgent need to end impunity by taking serious action to hold perpetrators of torture accountable, conducting transparent investigations, and ensuring the dismissal of any public official found guilty of committing acts of torture, with permanent prohibition from returning to service.