The Committee for Justice (CFJ) released its first-quarter 2025 bulletin (January–February–March), as part of its “Justice for Human Rights Defenders” project, that during this quarter, it documented grave violations committed against human rights defenders in Egypt.
These violations included arbitrary detention, prolonged pretrial detention, long-term detention, and judicial cycling. The bulletin documents these violations within the context of ongoing systematic repression targeting activists, journalists, lawyers, and workers who exercise their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and protest.
– Arbitrary Arrests:
Egyptian security agencies carried out arbitrary arrests of journalists, workers, and human rights defenders. For example, journalist Ahmed Mustafa Ahmed Sarrag was arbitrarily arrested on January 15, 2025, following a media interview discussing violations by security forces during the arrest of journalist Ashraf Umar. Additionally, authorities arrested 25 workers from “T & C” company after they went on strike demanding higher wages.
– Prolonged Pretrial Detention:
Illegal cases of extended pretrial detention continued. Lawyer Imam Al-Shafi’s detention in case number 2251 of 2021 reached five years. The list also includes human rights activist Marwa Arfa, who has been detained since April 2020 under case number 570 of 2020 and was referred to criminal trial after five years of detention. Lawyer Osama Bayoumi was cycled from one case to another with the same charges after having been forcibly disappeared since January 2022, with his pretrial detention continuing.
– Deteriorating Detention Conditions:
Detention conditions worsened in facilities such as Borg El Arab and Badr 3, where detainees suffer from overcrowding, lack of medical care, and being cut off from communication with their families. Labor leader Shadi Mohamed started a hunger strike protesting his forced transfer and inhumane detention conditions. Lawyer Mohamed Abu Hareira faces life-threatening risks after starting a hunger strike during Ramadan, and was transferred to the prison hospital due to deteriorating health while remaining deprived of contact with his family since his arrest in November 2018.
– Judicial Prosecutions:
This reporting period saw numerous arbitrary summonses and trials. Human rights defender Hossam Bahgat was summoned for investigation in case number 6 of 2025 after criticizing prisoners’ detention conditions, and was later released on bail. Publisher Hisham Qassem was tried again in a case dating back to a Facebook post, despite a previous ruling sentencing him to six months in prison.
– International Reactions:
Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, expressed grave concern in an official statement regarding the practice of “recycling defendants” into new cases after completing their sentences, citing prominent examples such as Hoda Abdelmonem and Aisha Al-Shater. Another UN statement highlighted harassment against journalist Basma Mostafa, who was forced to leave Egypt following physical and cyber-attacks.
This bulletin once again highlights the critical situation of human rights defenders in Egypt as an urgent priority, calling for immediate action to protect them and halt repressive policies threatening stability and social justice across the country.
