Each year, on August 30, the world observes the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances to draw attention to this grave violation and to underscore its devastating effects on individuals and society. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which came into force in 2010, embodies the global commitment to ending this practice.
“Enforced disappearance” is defined as the arrest, detention, abduction, or any form of deprivation of liberty carried out by agents of the State, or by individuals or groups acting with the authorization, support, or consent of the State. This is followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or a concealment of the person’s fate or whereabouts, thereby denying them the protection of the law. No situation—whether war, the threat of war, internal political instability, or any other state of emergency—can be used as justification for enforced disappearance.
In Egypt, since July 2013, the practice of enforced disappearances has escalated to unprecedented levels in modern history, coinciding with the wave of political repression initiated by the military regime under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Over the past decade, Committee for Justice has documented 607 confirmed cases of enforced disappearance. Among the most notable cases this year were the disappearances of journalists Ashraf Omar, who vanished for two days, and Khaled Mamdouh, who was missing for nearly a week after being arrested from their homes.
Furthermore, Committee for Justice submitted a study to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, highlighting the relationship between electoral cycles and enforced disappearances in Egypt. The study identified a pattern in which political opponents, human rights activists, and journalists are increasingly targeted before, during, and after elections as a means of intimidation. A prominent example is Ahmed Tantawi, a former potential presidential candidate and now a political prisoner. In May 2023, Tantawi revealed that nine of his friends and supporters forcibly disappeared while on their way to his office and campaign headquarters.
Committee for Justice believes that the widespread practice of enforced disappearances in Egypt perpetuates a culture of impunity and permanently undermines the rights of its victims. The lack of accountability emboldens security forces to continue committing such violations without fear of reprisal. The Committee therefore calls on the Egyptian authorities to end these criminal practices and to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
